Make Your Own Sanitizer At Home With This Recipe

While nothing beats the process of washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water when it comes to practising hygiene and preventing infections, there's no denying that rubbing on some hand sanitizer is the next best thing. however, in addition to bringing life to an abrupt halt, and temporarily suspending the regular schedules of the entire world population, the current pandemic has also led to a global shortage of hand sanitizers. 

 

Well, the solution to overcome, lies in improvisation and adaptation, and if buying a bottle of hand sanitizer from a store is no longer feasible, we need to think of an alternative. Luckily for us, with careful application of skills and necessary safety precautions, you can create your own hand sanitizer, right at home. 

Image Courtesy - Pexels 

 

A Word Of Warning

For safety purposes, it is highly recommended that only professionals with the necessary expertise and resources, try any hand sanitizer recipes, including this one. Only resort to making your own sanitizer at home, in extreme situations when hand washing isn't feasible for the foreseeable future. Avoid the usage of your homemade hand sanitizer on children, as well as adults with reaction-prone skin. 

 

The steps given below are for DIY alcohol-based hand sanitizers. You can look up alternatives in case rubbing alcohol is not available. 

 

 

DIY Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer 

 

Step 1 - Get All Your Essential Ingredients In Order 

To successfully replicate a commercially produced hand sanitizer, but without adding chemicals or having to deal with the foul smell, you need to have the following ingredients with you: 

 

• 2/3rd Cup Of 99% Rubbing Alcohol (Alternative - 190 Proof Grain Alcohol)

• 1/3rd Cup Of Pure Aloe Vera Gel

• 8-10 Drops Of Essential Oil In Your Favourite Aroma 

• A Bowl & Spoon For Mixing 

• A Funnel 

• A Plastic Or Glass Container 

 

Step 2 - Mix Aloe Vera Gel + Alcohol In The Bowl 

Pour these two ingredients in your mixing bowl, and use the spoon to blend them together. What you should be left with is a mixture that's smooth and consistent in texture. You can either add a spoon of aloe vera to make the consistency thicker or thin out the solution by adding some alcohol. 

 

 

 

Step 3 - Add Essential Oil For A Pleasant Smell

Be sure to add only one drop at a time while stirring continuously. After 7-8 drops, smell your mixture to gauge whether it's strong enough or still requires a few more drops of essential oil. You can choose from a wide variety of aromas for the essential oil, ranging from lavender and clove to lemon and cinnamon. 

 

Step 4 - Use A Funnel To Pour Into Container 

Place your funnel over the mouth of your chosen container for storing the sanitizer, and our your solution very carefully to fill it up. Screw on the lid tightly, and keep aside till you need to use it. A small bottle-like container is recommended for storing your sanitizer, especially if you need to carry it with you through the day. 

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Voila! You just made your own hand sanitizer!