A phenomenally potent
pine product that can be used to remove oil-based
stains, that
stinks to
high heaven in medium quantities (and to medium heaven in small quantities), and can cause
brain damage with
prolonged exposure.
I purchased some turpentine this afternoon because in my foolish attempts last night to clean a brush laden with oil-based stain in the downstairs bathroom sink (using tap water), I managed to get cherry-colored stain all over the porcelain. I had a choice, at the hardware store, between turpentine and paint thinner. I chose turpentine because it is made entirely from pine trees and has one nasty side effect, namely brain damage (unless you consume it, which I haven't done), whereas paint thinner does not appear to be so natural, and has two different components which have nasty side effects (they are carcinogens.)
I had to open the bottle very slowly - the instructions said to let air escape before removing the cap. I then mixed maybe a third of a cup of it with water in the sink. It cleaned my terribly crusty brushes right up, and made removing the stain from the sink pretty easy. But there's no ventilation to speak of in the bathroom, and even if the thought of brain damage didn't frighten me, the stuff has such a potent smell that I basically couldn't bring myself to inhale anywhere near it. I had to hold my breath while working on the sink, and then occasionally stop to go inhale.
I also tried using a mixture of turpentine and water to clean the stain off my hands - there was quite a lof of it. It worked pretty well but then I couldn't wash the turpentine smell off my hands. So now I'm afraid to eat with my hands for fear of ingesting the stuff. I'm probably being overly paranoid, but it did lead to me having a nice ceaser salad with salmon for lunch when I was thinking of having a burger or a club sandwich, and the salad was really good.
[Editor's note 1/26/2002 (Gz): Made minor spelling and formatting changes.]