Alcohol Swab/Alcohol Prep Pad Alcohol pads are useful for cleaning minor cuts, bites, and other skin wounds.Cleaning cuts and other wounds will kill harmful bacteria that can cause infection. These pads are also used to prepare the skin for injections, such as for bee stingallergy pens. Before an injection is given, an area on the skin must be sterilized. Alcohol pads contain a solution of seventy percent isopropyl alcohol and water.Isopropyl alcohol is commonly known as rubbing alcohol. (It's also known by anothername, isopropanol.) Isopropyl alcohol is also a colorless liquid, and it has a strong, distinct odor. It's highly flammable, so it must be kept away from sparks and flames.