With not only toilet paper flying off the shelves right now but also a good amount of hand sanitizer, I thought now was as good a time as any to drop my homemade hand sanitizer recipe.
Normally I keep these smaller recipes to my Instagram page but I figured there were going to be a lot more people in need of it in the coming weeks.
So if you’re in need of some hand sanitizer but don’t have access, don’t worry! You can make this easy and effective recipe with ingredients you should be able to find around your house!
Before I give you the recipe I would just like to say that of course, I am not a doctor and can not guarantee that this recipe works quite as effectively as store-bought. I have been using this recipe for quite some time and have found it effective so take this recipe with a grain of salt.
Hand washing is the most effective and should always be done first. Hand sanitizer is a great option when you’re on the go and don’t have access to soap and water.
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Handmade hand sanitizer recipe:
According to the center of disease control and prevention, hand sanitizer must have at least 60% alcohol content to be effective. But unfortunately, the bottle of whiskey in your cupboard won’t cut it.
- 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol
- 1/4 tsp of glycerin or liquid coconut oil*
- 1 tsp teaspoon witch hazel or hydrogen peroxide
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of distilled water
- Spray bottle
*The glycerin and melted coconut oil are purely used to keep your hands from getting too dry from the alcohol. You can omit them altogether if you feel like it but just note that your hands might feel dry. Also, if you choose to use coconut oil, make sure you buy liquid coconut oil. If you just melt regular coconut oil it will solidify in the spray bottle.
Simply mix all of the ingredients together and pour into the spray bottle. Your mixture should contain at least 2/3 alcohol content. If your rubbing alcohol is less than 70% alcohol, use less water. But I would strongly recommend 70% or higher.
This recipe is a liquid spray and not a gel so, in my opinion, it dries a lot faster and can also be used to sanitize phone screens, door handles, keyboards and anything else you can think of!
I just want to encourage everyone not to panic at a time like this. Please don’t stock up on things you don’t need or grab hundreds of an item. Now is the time for humanity to band together.
Stay healthy everyone!
As always, please don’t forget to share this post and follow me on Instagram for more non-toxic and low waste recipes!
Hey! Can you add a drop of essential oil to this? Will bottled water work? Thanks for sharing!
Yes! You can definitely add essential oils! If you’re going to use bottled water I’d suggest boiling it and letting it cool first to be the most effective 🙂
Thank you Ms. Rose for posting such an informative article.
I have checked many other websites and they make it seem like you need to be a chemical engineer, have a laboratory and own an industrial bottling plant to make your own hand sanitizer. I was planning on using straight up 91% rubbing alcohol or gasoline as a sanitizer, but your recipe makes so much more sense. (Less chance of setting myself on fire as well)
Great job and much appreciated.
Best regards and hope everyone stays safe
Thanks for reading! I’m glad this was heplful! 🙂