I've seen 95% ethanol and methanol being mentioned in protocols and I was wondering whether using one over the other have any drastic affects on the reagent (ie longevity, quality, color etc).
Also, is the filtering only for when there is precipitates?
Thank you!
Methanol is toxic. Many labs try to avoid using it, when a suitable alternative is available.
Two considerations: Toxicity (lower in ethanol) and price (higher in ethanol due to heavy taxation). One could use methanol-denatured ethanol, but then make sure that everybody in the lab (including cleaners etc!) is well aware of the dangers.
Achim & Engelbert, thank you so much for your responses!
Based on the info you've provided, we may proceed with using ethanol over methanol for safety reasons.
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