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Compounds and Cleaning · Compound · Purple oxidizer

Potassium Permanganate

A purple oxidizer that strips iron and odor from water (though it does not make it safe to drink), treats some skin conditions, and even starts a fire when a little glycerin is added. A tiny amount colors a lot of water.

INDEFINITEHazardousWorks without power

Quick facts

Type
Strong oxidizer
Form
Purple crystals or powder
Hazard class
Oxidizer; stains; corrosive
Shelf life
Indefinite
Storage
Amber glass, sealed
What to avoid
  • Acids
  • fuels
  • organics

See everything potassium permanganate must never touch

What it's good for

Water pre-treatment

Iron, odor, then boil

Skin treatment

Antifungal soaks

Iron & odor

Strips iron and smells

Fire starting

Ignites with glycerin

A strong oxidizer whose purple fades as it works, so the pink of treated water shows how much is left.

Good to know

It tells you the dose. Permanganate is self-indicating: its deep purple is the color of the oxidizer at work, and as it is used up the color fades to faint pink, then clear, so the shade of the water reveals how much oxidizer is left, not whether the water is safe. Sold for over a century as Condy's crystals, it strips iron, manganese, and odor from water and knocks back some bacteria, but it does not make water safe to drink on its own, so boil afterward. It stains everything brown.

Handling and safety

Stains everything

It dyes skin and surfaces brown; handle it with care.

Pink is a ceiling, not safety

Keep the tint the faintest pink; the color shows leftover oxidizer, not that the water is safe.

Removes iron and odor

It oxidizes iron and smells out of water, but boil or chlorinate before drinking.

It can start a fire

A few drops of glycerin on the crystals self-ignite after a short delay (Recipe 29.2), which is also why you keep it from fuels and organics.

What I buy

The formula is KMnO₄. It dissolves to a pink, purple, or magenta solution depending on how much you add, and that color is how you judge strength. Wear gloves and eye protection, and keep the jar cool, dry, and out of the light.

My pick: potassium permanganate on Amazon.

Recipes for potassium permanganate

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

What is potassium permanganate used for?

It pre-treats water by stripping iron, manganese, and odor, works as an antifungal skin soak, and starts a fire when a few drops of glycerin hit the crystals. It does not make water safe to drink on its own, so boil or chlorinate afterward.

How long does potassium permanganate last in storage?

Potassium permanganate has an indefinite shelf life when kept in sealed amber glass. Keep it apart from acids, fuels, and organics, since it is a strong oxidizer that can self-ignite with glycerin.

How do I store potassium permanganate?

Store it in sealed amber glass, away from acids, fuels, and organic materials. It is a strong oxidizer, and a few drops of glycerin on the crystals will self-ignite. It also stains skin and surfaces brown, so handle the container with care.

Keep going

Read nextPotassium NitrateSaltpeter. It cures meat, rots out tree stumps, feeds plants, and acts as a versatile oxidizer.Compounds and Cleaning · Compound

Related to this

Water · Formula Iron, Manganese, and Odor Removal from Water The rust stains, black grit, and rotten-egg smell in well or stored water come from dissolved iron, manganese, and sulfur, and potassium permanganate is the classic fix: it turns them into solid particles you then filter out. Hazardous Compounds and Cleaning · Compound Glycerin Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or HDPE. INDEFINITEMULTI-USE Medical · Formula Antiseptic Skin & Foot Soak (Condy's) When skin weeps, oozes, or blisters and will not dry out, a pale-pink potassium permanganate soak is the traditional remedy: it dries the weeping, calms the irritation, and cuts the surface bacteria and smell so the skin can settle, whether the cause is weepy eczema, an infected or blistered rash, or the raw, wet stage of athlete's foot. Hazardous Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Formula Start a fire with potassium permanganate and glycerin A pinch of potassium permanganate and a few drops of glycerin can burst into flame with no spark, battery, or friction, as long as you keep them warm and dry. Hazardous
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Compounds and Cleaning · CompoundSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Chapter 29, p. 149 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

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