Coronavirus: How to make your own hand sanitizer

With the advent of the COVID-19 coronavirus, there has been a run on hand sanitizers at the supermarkets. Some stores no longer have them in stock and when you have them in stock, the prices have quadrupled.

Now if you are one of the unfortunate ones that could not get a bottle before it went out of stock, never fear as you can make one at home from basic ingredients you can get from local stores.

Here’s what you need to make your hand sanitizer:

• 2/3 cup Isopropyl alcohol 91% (rubbing alcohol)
• 1/3 cup aloe vera gel
• Essential oil in your choice of fragrance (optional)
• A small or medium mixing bowl
• A spoon
• An empty container, such as a 3-ounce container from a travel toiletries kit

How to make it:

• Stir the Isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera gel together in a mixing bowl 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.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that an effective hand sanitizer should have at least 60% alcohol content. This recipe makes a sanitizer that slightly exceeds that alcohol content at 60.66%, so follow the proportions exactly. If you want a sanitizer with a higher alcohol percentage, decrease the amount of aloe vera to 1/4 cup.

Please note that according to CDC and World Health Organisation(WHO), washing your hands with soap and water still remains the best way to keep your hands clean and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Here are the WHO’s recommended steps for properly washing your hands. You should do these steps every time you wash.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), and apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap, starting rubbing palm to palm, followed by lathering the backs of your hands, between your fingers and thumbs, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean paper towel, then use the paper towel to turn off the water to avoid recontamination from the faucet handle.

From us as Innovation Village, please keep safe.