Coronavirus has been spread across the globe and disrupted our daily lives for more than a year now. It is indeed a very dangerous virus that is causing destruction all over the world. But with certain preventive and safety measures, it is possible to curb the adverse effects of the virus.
One of the easiest ways to save yourself from the deadly virus is by washing your hands regularly. The best way to clean your hands from the virus is through the use of hand sanitizer. Due to the recent global pandemic, the demand for hand sanitizers is increasing by leaps and bounds.
However, it must be mentioned here that a normal household in Pakistan cannot afford hand sanitizers due to their increasing prices. A small bottle may cost up to Rs.150 and lasts around 2 weeks. A household of 4 people will have to spend a lot of money every month on store-bought sanitizers.
But do not worry. You can also make hand sanitizer at home.
In this blog, we bring you methods by which you can make your very own hand sanitizers at home. The best part about these hand sanitizers is that they are equally effective and very affordable. All the ingredients used in DIY hand sanitizers are readily available at home.
To know how to make homemade hand sanitizer, keep on reading.
What is a Hand Sanitizer?
Hand sanitizer is an agent applied to the hands to remove common pathogens (disease-causing organisms). Research studies have shown that the use of hand sanitizer helps in mitigating the spread of the virus. Also, hand sanitizer works as a good alternative for normal soap and water.
How to Make Hand Sanitizer at Home?
To make the hand sanitizer at home, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 part aloe vera gel. (You can also use glycerin if you do not have aloe vera gel at home)
- 2 part isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) with a concentration of 91%
- Essential oil, such as lemon or lavender (this is an optional step that you can leave. Essential oil is used for a good scent)
- Clean containers for mixing and an air-tight container for storage
- Spoon or whisk for mixing
- Gloves.
Steps to Make Hand Sanitizer at Home
- Once you have all the ingredients at hand, it is time to mix them. Follow these steps to prepare the hand sanitizer.
- First of all, combine aloe vera gel or glycerin with the isopropyl alcohol in a clean container. Use measuring spoons to get the exact amount of the ingredient. To prepare one cup of hand sanitizer, you need to combine ⅓ cup of gel or glycerin with ⅔ cup of rubbing alcohol. To ensure a smooth consistency of the liquid, take a spoon or whisk and mix the ingredients well.
- Add in a few drops of essential oil to give the mixture a refreshing smell.
- Store the mixture in an airtight container and make sure it remains at room temperature. The hand sanitizer contains a high percentage of alcohol which evaporates over time. An airtight container will ensure that the hand sanitizer remains effective for a longer duration of time.
Cost of Making Hand Sanitizer at Home
You can easily get aloe vera gel from any pharmacy. It is very cheap and cost around Rs.150. You can also use fresh aloe vera gel which you can get for a lesser price. Also, you can plant aloe vera in your house and use gel for the sanitizer.
Rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol is also very cheap. You can easily get 250 ml of rubbing alcohol for around Rs.100.
If you want to cut the costs, skip the essential oils. If you want to add essential oil, get the essential oil from any online store. The prices usually start from Rs.100.
Hence, for Rs.350, you can make small sanitizer bottles for your whole family and they work exactly like store-bought sanitizers.
How to Use Hand Sanitizer?
Take a small amount of hand sanitizer in your palm and apply it all over your hands including the backsides of your hands. Continue rubbing for 30 to 60 seconds or until your hands are dry. It can take at least 60 seconds, and sometimes longer, for hand sanitizer to kill most germs. Make sure that before the application of sanitizer, your hands are not dirty or greasy.
Warning:
Yes, it is very easy to make hand sanitizer at home but make sure you handle the ingredients with great care. The rubbing alcohol used in the sanitizer must be handled with special care.
It catches fire very easily and high concentrations of alcohol can also damage the skin and cause severe dryness. Make sure you stick to the 2:1 proportion to keep the alcohol content around 60%. Also, make sure you are wearing gloves while mixing the ingredients.
Things to Consider While Using Hand Sanitizer
- Keep in your mind that hand sanitizer does not kill germs. It removes the germs from your skin. So, if your hands are not clean, the sanitizer might not work properly. Make sure you wash your hands and your hands are cleaned before the application of hand sanitizer.
- Hand sanitizers come in different concentrations. A hand sanitizer with an alcohol percentage less than 60% is not effective and does not help you to get rid of germs and viruses.
Pros and Cons of Hand Sanitizer
Like every other virus-fighting medium, hand sanitizers also come with certain pros and cons.
Pros:
- Most importantly, hand sanitizers remove germs. They contain alcohol which is an excellent medium and used to kill bacteria and viruses for a long time.
- Hand sanitizers have high accessibility. Like traditional soap, it does not require water for its application. A small bottle will help you clean your hands anywhere. Also, it is highly convenient. Keep one with you at all times and use it regularly.
- Unlike hand soaps, hand sanitizers are long-lasting. They usually come with 2 to 3 years of shelf life and they last long as well.
- Hand sanitizer is a medium that stops the indirect transmission of viruses and bacteria. For instance, in a hospital setting, a hand sanitizer will prevent the transmission of bacteria and viruses from one person to another person.
Cons:
- Some brands use less than 60% of alcohol which is not effective at all. Even if you are using a hand sanitizer but the alcohol content is low, it is of no use because it will not reduce the germs and virus from you.
- Hand sanitizer may be effective against germs, but it is not as effective as soap and water when needing to remove any bodily fluids, grease, dirt, or blood from hands.
- As mentioned earlier, hand sanitizers contain alcohol that dries the skin. Apart from dryness, it also damages the outer layers of the skin which may lead to cracks, cuts, sores, etc. moreover, alcohol kills useful bacteria from our body too.
So, these are some of the crucial information about hand sanitizers that everyone should know. Make this hand sanitizer at home and let us know what you think of it. Also, during the pandemic, stay indoors and maintain social distancing. Keep yourself and your family members safe and secure.
If you have any questions or queries, leave us a message in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to answer your questions.
Until then,
Stay safe!
