Got compressed air on skin... What now?

[Marshalscienceguy]

I read instructions on canister and it said your not suppose to get on skin or clothes. If I got some on my skin is washing it off sufficient?

[Bignose]

Didn't it pretty much evaporate instantly? I think the worry about it being on skin is the possibility of frostbite and if it is a liquid is can expose your skin to very cold very quickly. But if it didn't frostbite you, it probably turned to a gas and went off on its merry way. I mean, your skin and your clothes are normally exposed to air, right?

[CharonY]

I suppose you are referring to the small cans used to dust off computers and suchalike? They typically contain difluorethane (a refrigerant) rather than actually compressed. It is slightly toxic, but the label is probably just a general precaution to avoid cold damage (but you would have to dump a lot on it). But as Bignose said, it is pretty hard to harm yourself with it (except maybe trying to swallow the bottle whole).

[CaptainPanic]

I guess washing yourself won't hurt, and it will make you smell nice as a bonus. But I agree with the others that it is probably not even necessary.

[Endy0816]

Should be fine. Most of the danger comes from the expansion/phase change extracting heat as it goes. Some can convert into hazardous gasses, but only at relatively high temperatures.

Edited August 21, 2014 by Endy0816