How to make your own hand sanitizer [updated April 2, 2020]

[Karlston]

Not something I'd normally post, but given the global circumstances we find ourselves in, it may be of help.

 

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How to make your own hand sanitizer

Washing your hands is how you protect yourself, but this is second best 

Xinhua/Li Muzi via Getty Images

Everyone agrees, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that if you want to avoid the transmission of disease, including the novel coronavirus, the best way to do that is to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and avoid touching your face. But if you’re traveling, or otherwise don’t have access to soap and water, the next best thing is a hand sanitizer.

 

Can’t find one? You’re not alone. With increasing public awareness about the coronavirus outbreak, hand sanitizers are becoming difficult — if not impossible — to find. (A quick search on Amazon found most pocket-sized dispensers and wipes listed as “Currently unavailable.”)

 

However, if you really want some to carry around and can’t find any in your local Walgreens or CVS, you can make your own — and it really isn’t that hard. A wide range of sites (most of which are about saving money or reducing dependence on commercial products) have published explanations on how to mix up your own hand sanitizing formula.

 

 

Recipes differ slightly (for example, some recommend adding a scented oil while others keep that step optional). But there is general agreement that if you want to create your own hand sanitizer, you need to be aware of a few things:

• To be effective, hand sanitizer needs to have a strength of at least 60 percent isopropyl alcohol. Since you’re going to have to mix your sanitizer with aloe vera gel in order to stabilize it and protect your hands, most suggest that the mixture contain at least two-thirds 99 percent isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and one-third gel. (You can probably ignore the occasional suggestion to use vodka instead of isopropyl alcohol — many vodkas are only 40 percent alcohol, and anyway, why waste good liquor?)
• The sanitizer is only effective if you cover your hands thoroughly and then let it dry. Squirting a few drops into your palms and then wiping your hands isn’t going to help at all.
• If your hands are heavily soiled or greasy, then, according to the CDC, a hand sanitizer isn’t going to do much.

Given a choice, though, the best thing you can do is to wash your hands and keep them away from your face.

 

Oh, and about your phone? There hasn’t been a lot of information (or concern) out there about spreading infection via your mobile devices, so don’t sweat it. However, since your phone is, according to the CDC, a “high-touch surface,” if you have any concerns that it has been shared with someone possibly exposed, you can use alcohol wipes to clean it off.

 

 

Source: How to make your own hand sanitizer (The Verge)

[Karlston]

How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

No Purell? No problem! When disinfecting gel sells out everywhere, you can just make some yourself with stuff you (maybe) already have at home.

Photograph: Jena Ardell/Getty Images

 

Properly scrubbing your hands is one of the best ways to stop the spread of germs and viruses, and to ensure you don’t get sick yourself. But if you don't have access to soap and clean water, or if you're out and about and nowhere near a sink, you should carry hand sanitizer to protect your health.

 

As you're no doubt aware, bottles of hand sanitizer (Purell, Wet Ones, and the like) sell out quickly during public health crises. But don't worry—making your own hand sanitizer is remarkably easy. You just have to be careful you don't mess it up. Make sure that the tools you use for mixing are properly sanitized; otherwise you could contaminate the whole thing. Also, the World Health Organization recommends letting your concoction sit for a minimum of 72 hours after you're done. That way the sanitizer has time to kill any bacteria that might have been introduced during the mixing process.

 

(Note: To reiterate, nothing beats washing your hands. Hand sanitizer—even the real, professionally made stuff—should always be a last resort.)

 

We actually have two recipes for you, and links to find the ingredients. The first is one you can make with stuff you likely already have in your cabinets and under the sink, so it's effective in emergency situations. The second recipe is more complex, but easy to make if you have the opportunity to do some shopping and planning ahead of time. Another note: a lot of these items are quickly going out of stock because of high demand. There's a higher chance of finding them at your local drug store, but your first priority is to stay indoors.

 

Potency Matters

 

You’re going to need some alcohol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your sanitizer mix must be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective. But it's better to get way above that—aim for a minimum of 75 percent. A bottle of 99 percent isopropyl alcohol is the best thing to use. Your regular vodka and whiskey are too wimpy and won’t cut it.

 

The Quick (Gel) Recipe

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Aloe vera gel (also here)
• Tea tree oil (also here)

Mix 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part aloe vera gel. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to give it a pleasant scent and to align your chakras.

 

The Better (Spray) Recipe

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Glycerol or glycerin (also here)
• Hydrogen peroxide (This was the cheapest we could find available online, but if you find yourself in a drugstore they might have stock available for less.)
• Distilled water (also here)
• Spray bottle

The aloe mixture gets the job done, but aloe also leaves your skin annoyingly sticky. So, here's a recipe that's less sticky and more potent, based on the mix recommended by the WHO.

 

Mix 12 fluid ounces of alcohol with 2 teaspoons of glycerol. You can buy jugs of glycerol online, and it's an important ingredient because it keeps the alcohol from drying out your hands. If you can't find glycerol, proceed with the rest of the recipe anyway and just remember to moisturize your hands after applying the sanitizer.

 

Mix in 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, then 3 fluid ounces of distilled or boiled (then cooled) water. (If you're working with a lower-concentration solution of rubbing alcohol, use far less water; remember, at least ¾ of your final mixture has to be alcohol.)

 

Load the solution into spray bottles—this isn't a gel, it's a spray. You can wet a paper towel with it as well and use that as a wipe.

 

If you must, you can add in a splash of essential oil to your concoction to make it smell nice. Just don’t use lavender. Everyone else uses lavender, and your sanitizer is superior.

 

Updated March 20: Added a note about items being out of stock.

 

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Source: How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer (The Verge)