Coronavirus fears have you worried about your favorite hand sanitizer being out of stock? Make your own homemade hand sanitizer!

Posted by Parkway Plastics Team Member on 03-03-2020

Worried about your favorite hand sanitizer being out of stock? There's talk around the office, online, in the schools that stores are running out of hand sanitizer due to Coronavirus fears.

The main purpose of hand soap is to remove germs and bacteria, but it doesn't kill it. Hand sanitizer, with at least 60% isopropyl alcohol, will do the trick.

No worries, you can make homemade hand sanitizer yourself pretty easily. Get yourself some isopropyl alcohol, aloe vera, mix them together (2/3 rubbing alcohol; 1/3 gel). Store the mixture in a bottle or container with a lid or pop-top.

To use, make sure your hands are free of grease and dirt, then apply your homemade hand sanitizer, completely covering your hands and be sure to let them dry. Only using a few drops in the palms of your hands is just wasting it, as it won't be as effective.

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FAQ's:

1. are hand sanitizer effective against coronavirus - “From what we know about this coronavirus, it’s similar to [previous epidemics of] SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] and MERS [Middle East respiratory syndrome], so it should not be that difficult of a microorganism to kill,” Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the special pathogens unit at Boston Medical Center, tells The Post. “Soap and water, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers, can kill it.”

2. is hand sanitizer better than soap - Soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing certain kinds of germs, like Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile¹^-⁵. ... Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

3. can hand sanitizer kill virus - Alcohol rub sanitizers kill most bacteria, and fungi, and stop some viruses. Alcohol rub sanitizers containing at least 70% alcohol (mainly ethyl alcohol) kill 99.9% of the bacteria on hands 30 seconds after application and 99.99% to 99.999% in one minute.

4. is homemade hand sanitizer effective - A legit hand sanitizer needs to have at least 60 per cent alcohol to be effective, said Dr Edwin Chng, the medical director of Parkway Shenton. ... As for using rubbing alcohol – with some solutions containing 60 to 90 per cent alcohol – that's pretty strong, but not good for your skin.

5. can you make homemade hand sanitizer - Yes. In a mixing bowl, stir Isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera gel together until well blended. Add 8-10 drops of scented essential oil (optional, but nice!). Stir to incorporate. Pour the homemade hand sanitizer into an empty container and seal.

6. does homemade hand sanitizer work - A legit hand sanitizer needs to have at least 60 per cent alcohol to be effective, said Dr Edwin Chng, the medical director of Parkway Shenton. ... As for using rubbing alcohol – with some solutions containing 60 to 90 per cent alcohol – that's pretty strong, but not good for your skin.

7. how to make homemade hand sanitizer - Twitter user, Maryn McKenna (@marynmck) posted the simple instructions, which she got from a post that originated in 2019 by biomedical PhD @azareal.

8. how to make homemade hand sanitizer without alcohol - This DIY alcohol-free hand sanitizer blend "includes oils with proven anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and adds aloe vera gel for smoothness. It contains no chemicals or alcohol, which might cause skin irritation," as noted by a Dr. Rosen on Lifehacker's blog titled, 'Make a DIY Alcohol-free Natural Hand Sanitizer'.

Start with a 4 ounce spray bottle.
Fill it about ¾ full with sterile water.
Add 1 TBSP of aloe vera gel.
Add 10 drops each of cinnamon, clove, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils.
Add 20 drops of either lemon, orange or grapefruit essential oil – whatever aroma fits your mood.
Place the spray dispenser top on securely and mix thoroughly.
Spray two or three times on your hands and rub together.
Repeat as needed.

9. how to make homemade hand sanitizer with essential oils -

1/4 cup aloe vera gel
20 drops Germ Destroyer Essential Oil (kid safe)

10. how to make homemade hand sanitizer spray -

For a printable version of this Homemade Hand Sanitizer spray, click the image below.

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Tip: Thick glass, dark bottles are great for preserving essential oils!

Tip: Thick glass, dark bottles are great for preserving essential oils!

11. how to make homemade hand sanitizer without aloe vera - While there are substitutions for aloe vera in cooking, I've yet to come across a DIY hand sanitizer that isn't made with aloe vera.

Aloe Vera Substitutions (for food):

Aloe Ferox

Aloe Perryi

Agave (in a pinch)

If you come across a hand sanitizer that can be made without aloe vera, please let me know! You can message me on our Instagram account: @ParkwayPlastics or tweet me on Twitter: @ParkwayPlastics

Benefits of Aloe Vera in Hand Sanitizer: Aloe Vera contains natural moisturizers that help retain moisture on dry and rough skin. After you are finished sanitizing, the alcohol will evaporate off of your hand killing the germs, and the Aloe Vera in our hand sanitizer will remain and form a protective layer on your skin leaving it soft for you. (12)

12. how to make homemade hand sanitizer wipes / hand sanitation wipes - To make your own homemade hand wipes (which is actually fairly easy and inexpensive to make!):

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of liquid soap (baby wash, castile soap, hand wash or shower gel)

1 tablespoon of almond oil or coconut oil (or your preference of oil)

2 cups of warm water (distilled, purified or boiled water)

1 roll of paper towels (something like Bounty, or any strong brand of paper towels)

1 airtight container with a lid (about the same size as half of the roll of paper towels)

Essential oils (optional; lemon or tea-tree oils have disinfecting properties)

Instructions:

Use a serrated knife to cut your roll of paper towels in half (may be messy)

Place one half of your cut roll into your container

Mix some warm water, soap, almond oil and your essential oil into a measuring cup

Pour mixture over the paper towels

Squish the roll down as it soaks up the water

Place the lid on and turn it upside down

Let sit for 5 minutes

After 5 minutes, remove the middle cardboard tube (it may come out in pieces)

Pull the wipes up from the center of the roll - this is where you'll pull from when using it.

Place a container in your car, shed, garage or anywhere you'll need hand cleaning wipes.

VIDEO: How to Make Homemade Hand Wipes (YouTube user Meagen Mackenzie): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwk1H3fclQ4

Note: These wipes will not kill the Coronavirus. While there are disinfectant properties in the essential oils, this is a non-alcohol recipe for hand wipes. These wipes will remove dirt and germs from your hands, but it will not kill germs or bacteria. Sanitizers need at least 60% isopropyl rubbing alcohol.

13. how to thicken homemade hand sanitizer - you can make your hand sanitizer thicker by adding more aloe vera gel, or thinner by adding more alcohol or witch hazel.

14. how long does homemade hand sanitizer last - I imagine this depends on what ingredients you use, as well as what type of glass jar or plastic container you use to store it. I've seen DIY-ers mention that a homemade recipe can be kept for up to six months (14), while the type you purchase in the store (non homemade) can last up to 2-3 years. (15)

16. how to make homemade hand sanitizer easy -

Homemade Hand Sanitizer Recipe

1/4 c. aloe vera gel (as pure as you can get)
3/4 c. rubbing alcohol (at least 91%)
1/8 c. vegetable glycerin (optional) (if omitted, use an extra 1/8 c. aloe vera gel)
10 drops essential oil (for example, cinnamon or sweet orange)

Pour everything into your food processor or blender and let it go on high for a minute or two. Bottle and use as you would any hand sanitizer. Keeps for 6 months or more.

17. can i use vodka to make hand sanitizer - Beware of the DIY or homemade hand sanitizer recipes that call for vodka. The alcohol content in vodka is 40%, while the CDC recommends using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.