Here are some facts about many readily available solvents:
Toluene: An aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a colorless, water-insoluble liquid with the smell associated with paint thinners. Toluene is predominantly used as an industrial feed stock and a solvent. As the solvent in some types of paint thinner, permanent markers, contact cement and certain types of glue, toluene is sometimes used as a recreational inhalant and has the potential of causing severe neurological harm.
Acetone: Acetone is a colorless mobile flammable liquid with a pleasant, somewhat fruity odor. It is readily soluble in water, ethanol, ether, etc., and itself serves as an important solvent. The most familiar household use of acetone is as the active ingredient in nail-polish remover. Acetone is also used to make plastic, fibers, drugs, and other chemicals. After inhaling acetone fumes or ingesting acetone, it enters the blood, which then carries it to all the organs in the body. If it is a small amount, the liver breaks it down to chemicals that are not harmful and uses these chemicals to make energy for normal body functions. Breathing moderate- to-high levels of acetone for short periods of time, however, can cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation; headaches; light-headedness; confusion; increased pulse rate; effects on blood; nausea; vomiting; unconsciousness and possibly coma; and shortening of the menstrual cycle in women.
Denatured Ethyl Alcohol: Denatured alcohol is ethanol (ethyl alcohol) made unfit for human consumption by adding one or more chemicals, such as methanol to it. You'll find denatured alcohol in reagent alcohol for use in labs, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, and fuel for alcohol lamps. It's also found in cosmetics and other personal care products. Denatured alcohol serves as a cleaning agent, fuel additive, sanding aid, exterminator, and as a solvent. The agent is an option for removing paint, dirt, or debris from wood surfaces. As a solvent, denatured alcohol works well for dissolving glue, wax, grease, and grime from multiple surface types.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), or Butanone: An organic compound. This colorless liquid ketone has a sharp, sweet odor reminiscent of butterscotch and acetone. It is produced industrially on a large scale, and also occurs in trace amounts in nature. It is soluble in water and is commonly used as an industrial solvent. MEK is an effective and common solvent and is used in processes involving gums, resins, cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose coatings and in vinyl films. For this reason it finds use in the manufacture of plastics, textiles, in the production of paraffin wax, and in household products such as lacquer, varnishes, paint remover, a denaturing agent for denatured alcohol, glues, and as a cleaning agent. It has similar solvent properties to acetone but has a significantly slower evaporation rate. MEK dissolves polystyrene and many other plastics, and it is sold as "model cement" for use in connecting parts of scale model kits. Though often considered an adhesive, it is actually functioning as a welding agent in this context. It is an irritant, causing irritation to the eyes and nose of humans. Serious health effects in animals have been seen only at very high levels.
Naphtha: A flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture. Mixtures labelled naphtha have been produced from natural gas condensates, petroleum distillates, and the distillation of coal tar and peat. In different industries and regions naphtha may also be crude oil or refined products such as kerosene. Mineral spirits, also historically known as "naphtha", are not the same chemical. Naphtha looks like gasoline. Naphtha is used to dilute heavy oil to help move it through pipelines, to make high-octane gas, to make lighter fluid, and even to clean metal.
Xylene(s): Are colorless, flammable liquids, some of which are of great industrial value. The xylene mixture is a slightly greasy, colorless liquid commonly encountered as a solvent. In this application, with a mixture of isomers, it is often referred to as xylenes or xylol. Solvent xylene often contains a small percentage of ethylbenzene. Like the individual isomers, the mixture is colorless, sweet-smelling, and highly flammable. Areas of application include the printing, rubber, and leather industries. It is a common component of ink, rubber, and adhesives. In thinning paints and varnishes, it can be substituted for toluene where slower drying is desired. Similarly it is a cleaning agent, e.g., for steel, silicon wafers, and integrated circuits. In dentistry, xylene can be used to dissolve gutta percha, a material used for endodontics (root canal treatments). In the petroleum industry, xylene is also a frequent component of paraffin solvents. For similar reasons, it is often the active ingredient in commercial products for ear wax (cerumen) removal.
