Lysol and climbing gear

Any thoughts on whther spray lysol poses a threat to climbing gear? I spray the inside of my shoes, and sometimes my pack in which i carry my rope and harness (when it is empty, of course), with lysol to keep the funk down. Assuming I let everything dry, is this kind of incidental exposure to lysol harmful to climbing gear? My thinking is no, but some MP peace of mind would be good.

I know igd.

Lysol uses isopropanol and KOH, both of which can degrade nylon.  I would be more worried about KOH than any alcohol, but unless you are saturating the rope in lysol it seems unlikely that the core would see any damage.

Here's the ingredient list from Wikipedia. I'd be a little concerned about bringing it into contact with climbing soft goods, but assuming you allow your pack to dry out thoroughly, it shouldn't be a problem.

Different Lysol products contain different active ingredients.  Examples of active ingredients used in Lysol products:[citation needed]

• Ethanol/SD Alcohol, 40 1–3%; fluid that acts as sanitizer
• Isopropyl alcohol, 1–2%; partly responsible for Lysol's strong odor; acts as sanitizing agent and removes odor
• p-Chloro-o-benzylphenol, 5–6%; antiseptic
• o-Phenylphenol, 0.1%; antiseptic; in use circa 1980's
• Potassium hydroxide, 3–4%
• Alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium saccharinate, 0.10%; microbiocide
• Alkyl (C12-C18) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride, 0.08%; antiseptic
• Alkyl (C12-C16) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride, 0.02%; antiseptic
• Lactic acid as an antiseptic.
• Hydrogen Peroxide

Hmm, lactic acid/nylon-moderate effect.
Dirt-bags don't have this third-world problem.

Jim Titt wrote: Hmm, lactic acid/nylon-moderate effect.

I'd be much more concerned about the potassium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide.

I'm always curious about these kinds of questions, as I have a biochemistry background.
If you go to the Lysol website you can see the MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet - for each of their products.  I would guess you are using Lysol spray disinfectant - the MSDS has some of the ingredients Marc801c listed but not all.  The MSDS list doesn't particularly bother me, but this is not the right product to use.
As far as inside your shoes, why use this product, which is designed for disinfecting hard surfaces, at all.  There are a half a dozen products designed specifically for use inside shoes for killing bacteria and fungus (and removing the odor they cause). Purchase at any pharmacy.
As far as a pack, what I do is take it outside on a hot sunny day and use a garden hose and some detergent to clean the interior and exterior.  This way you can use ample water to rinse whatever detergent you use.  I usually use laundry detergent.  Air dry and it's good as new.

As an aside, isopropyl alcohol - the main microbicide in Lysol - is an excellent general disinfectant.  It basically screws up the membranes of bacteria and viruses.  The most effective concentration is 70%, and this is what we always used in the lab to clean down the stainless steel surfaces of the cell culture hoods.  

If you get a rash after shaving, this is typically a small local infection caused by Staph resident in your skin.  Men use "aftershave" to prevent this but if you hate the perfumes they use in aftershave, make your own - buy a bottle of 70% isopropanol at any pharmacy, and add a drop or two of some essential oil you like.  I use eucalyptus or rose, and use this every time I shave my legs.

Ozone/oxidizers, acids, and chlorinating/halogenating substances are the big no-nos for nylon it appears.

https://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/ calpaclab.com/nylon-chemica…

The website I linked also has phenol having a severe effect at 10%.  Spray Lysol doesn't seem to list any phenols, but Marc indicates that some Lysols do.   I'd avoid using anything near my soft goods that contained a phenol anywhere close to that 10%.  

phylp wrote: As far as inside your shoes, why use this product, which is designed for disinfecting hard surfaces, at all.  There are a half a dozen products designed specifically for use inside shoes for killing bacteria and fungus (and removing the odor they cause). Purchase at any pharmacy.

Good point, yet many of the gyms here use lysol on their rental shoes. Maybe it is good enough, and cheaper than the shoe-odor-specific products.

I used the generic Lysol brand in a n=1 sample test versus a control (aka my two pairs of LaSport Skwama’s) for a 6 month period. 

The pair I sprayed with Lysol after any noticeable  stench was detected...smelled better only temporarily (I do wash my feet). However, I did notice the toe box was more likely to roll and that there seemed to be more stretch compared to my control sample.

I think just keeping feet clean and washing with water and a brush would be more effective. From a gym standpoint...they get the shoes cheapish and the wear time for rentals would wear them out faster than Lysol imo. For the Skwama’s with a mostly leather interior foot material...the shoe definitely felt more...elastic. 

Just my two cents.

Thank you for making me glad I'm a sock climber.....never have to do anything to my shoes to keep them smelling good, even after a long day of multipitch.

Eh... it's like ski boot liners.  Even if you wear clean socks everyday, after about 75 days in them you are going to get the odor...  

I second what Phylp says.  I use 70% isopropyl alcohol for bacteria in shoes.  It works great and doesn't cost much.

phylp wrote: I'm always curious about these kinds of questions, as I have a biochemistry background.
If you go to the Lysol website you can see the MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet - for each of their products.  I would guess you are using Lysol spray disinfectant - the MSDS has some of the ingredients Marc801c listed but not all.  The MSDS list doesn't particularly bother me, but this is not the right product to use.
As far as inside your shoes, why use this product, which is designed for disinfecting hard surfaces, at all.  There are a half a dozen products designed specifically for use inside shoes for killing bacteria and fungus (and removing the odor they cause). Purchase at any pharmacy.
As far as a pack, what I do is take it outside on a hot sunny day and use a garden hose and some detergent to clean the interior and exterior.  This way you can use ample water to rinse whatever detergent you use.  I usually use laundry detergent.  Air dry and it's good as new.

As an aside, isopropyl alcohol - the main microbicide in Lysol - is an excellent general disinfectant.  It basically screws up the membranes of bacteria and viruses.  The most effective concentration is 70%, and this is what we always used in the lab to clean down the stainless steel surfaces of the cell culture hoods.  

If you get a rash after shaving, this is typically a small local infection caused by Staph resident in your skin.  Men use "aftershave" to prevent this but if you hate the perfumes they use in aftershave, make your own - buy a bottle of 70% isopropanol at any pharmacy, and add a drop or two of some essential oil you like.  I use eucalyptus or rose, and use this every time I shave my legs.

Complete aside here....

This made me smile. My late husbands parents both worked for the Public Health Service. His dad was a mosquito expert, but his mom was a microbiologist at NIH. This, was one of her projects, simply testing various products to see what worked. You won't be surprised to learn that some of the simplest things, even just soap and water, or isopropyl, outperformed more complex formulas to clean hands and floors in hospital settings. Im sorry, I don't have any links to studies. Way, way before computers, let alone internet!

A couple of high school kids here did a project that got attention, when they tested out things like vinegar and lemon juice. Obviously not for climbing equipment, but some of your grandma's stuff really does work, in the kitchen, around the house, in the garden, when you're sick....

Best, Helen