How to Convert Potassium Iodide into Your Own Iodine Tincture

Tincture of iodine is a strong antiseptic that can be made in your own home.

Iodine is a chemical element used primarily for nutritional purposes and as a powerful antiseptic. Commonly found in hospitals, iodine solution is typically used to sanitize wounds. If you are interested in preparing your own medical supplies, you can create an iodine tincture -- an alcohol and water-based solution -- for home use relatively easily. These steps are also useful in the event that you travel to countries where this type of preparation is not readily available.

Things You'll Need

• Glass measuring container with ml increments
• 50 g potassium iodide
• 50 ml purified water
• 70 g of food or medical grade iodine
• Alcohol
• Dark colored glass bottle

Instructions

1. Add 50 g of potassium iodide to the glass measuring container.

2. Pour in 50 ml of purified water. Mix the water and potassium iodide together by gently swirling the container.

3. Add 70 g of iodine to the solution. Agitate the ingredients until well mixed.

4. Dilute the solution by adding alcohol. Keep adding alcohol until the mixture measures 1000 ml in total.

5. Store the tincture in a dark colored glass bottle. For best results, keep the bottle stored in a cool, dry location until use.

References

• Pharmacopeia: USP Monographs - Strong Iodine Tincture