Tips for People Making Their Own Hand Sanitizer at Home

Properly scrubbing your hands is one perfect way to stop the spread of viruses and bacteria while ensuring you don’t get sick yourself. When you don’t have access to clean water and soap, or you are out and nowhere near a sink, you can carry a hand sanitizer and protect yourself from germs and viruses.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

As you are no doubt aware, due to the current world events, hand sanitizers sell out quickly. Don’t worry, you can easily make your own. You just have to be careful so that you don’t mess it up. Make sure that the products you use are properly sanitized. Otherwise, you can contaminate the whole thing. The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends letting your concoction sit for a minimum of 72 hours after you are finished. This way, the product has time to kill any bacteria that were introduced during the mixing process.

There are two recipes available, along with sources, in which you can find all the products. The first one is relatively easy, and you can make it with stuff you already have under the sink and in your cabinets. It’s great for emergency situations. The second recipe is more complex; however, it’s easy to make it if you go out to do some planning and shopping ahead of time. A note: many of these items are quickly going out of stock due to the high demand.

Potency Matters

For starters, you need some alcohol. Your hand sanitizer must be at least 60 percent alcohol in order to be effective. However, it’s best to get way above that. Aim for at least 75%. A bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol is the best thing you can use.

The Quick Recipe

• Aloe vera gel
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Tea tree oil

The Better Recipe (Spray)

• Glycerol or Glycerin
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Distilled water
• Spray bottle

Stay safe by staying at home. Don’t leave your house except for essential trips outside, like to see your doctor or to the grocery shop.