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I have the original Prusa i3m3 printer. Prusa recommends cleaning the bed before each print with isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol), with only occasional cleaning with acetone. The textured bed prohibits using acetone.

Given the SARS-COV-2 situation and COVID-19, isopropanol is impossible to find, and will not be in stock on shelves in the US for months.

What would you suggest as an alternative that might still be found on store shelves?

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    $\begingroup$ Why not order it on Amazon? Looks like they can get it for you and you don't have to go out to get it. $\endgroup$
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
    Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 1:58
  • $\begingroup$ Do they have it now? Last I looked they were out. I'll look again. Wow, $29/liter is pretty stiff. $\endgroup$
    – cmm
    Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 3:07
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    $\begingroup$ When I looked yesterday, it was 1/2 that amount ... that said, beggars cannot be choosers. Besides, anything which acts as IPA is going to cost like IPA, considering the current world circumstance. $\endgroup$
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
    Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 10:38
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    $\begingroup$ Everclear? Or maybe even just vodka? :-) $\endgroup$
    – R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
    Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 15:20

3 Answers 3

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Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol) should work just fine as long as it's around 80% or more. It's very similar to isopropanol as a cleaning solvent. What you're basically doing is removing any stray grease from the bed with a solvent that evaporates quickly.

Methanol would also probably work. It's very poisonous though, and shouldn't come into contact with your skin, so it requires a bit more careful handling. Methanol also has the benefit that it can't be used for hand sanitizer (since it's absorbed through the skin), so supplies shouldn't run out.

Look for alternative sources, for example, methanol is often sold as de-icing agent for pneumatic brakes on trucks. Just make sure it's pure alcohol without anything funky added.

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    $\begingroup$ Beware of methanol, it can turn you blind. It is easily absorbed by the skin. $\endgroup$
    – 0scar ♦
    Commented Mar 29, 2020 at 5:04
  • $\begingroup$ Good point, just don't get it on your hands, don't drink it (10 ml will cause blindness, 30 ml will probably kill you), and don't use so much that you're huffing vapors and you'll be fine. $\endgroup$
    – Stuggi
    Commented Mar 29, 2020 at 9:08
  • $\begingroup$ Don't use methaol, it's an unnecessary risk. $\endgroup$
    – FarO
    Commented Mar 30, 2020 at 10:37
  • $\begingroup$ I'll stay away from methanol. I wonder if the ATF would understand that my still was only so that I could clean my printer bed. $\endgroup$
    – cmm
    Commented Sep 10, 2020 at 0:38
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    $\begingroup$ I've been using ethanol exclusively as that's what I had on hand. It's only 70% but it still seems to work well. Coupled with a micro-fiber rag it keeps the print bed looking fresh. $\endgroup$
    – Alan Fluka
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 16:41
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Dish soap will remove grease very well. Once you rinse it with a moist sponge and dry with a clean cloth most residues will be gone.

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  • $\begingroup$ I recently tried cleaning a glass build plate with Dawn dish detergent and rinsed it thoroughly but the PLA wouldn't stick until I went over it with iso. I think it must have left a residue. $\endgroup$
    – DoxyLover
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 4:17
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The Prusa manual also states that you can use Windex for PET-G:

use Windex instead as it degreases less thoroughly.

Also works with PLA, I've tested it, but for assured adherence, I also use a little swipe of the glue stick included with the printer.

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  • $\begingroup$ For PET-G I'm been using the Aqua-Net hairspray on one side of the bed. The other side is kept hairspray-free and is cleaned with IPA. My 95% is now diluted to about 71%, and IPA is not yet in the stores. $\endgroup$
    – cmm
    Commented Sep 10, 2020 at 0:39

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