Healthy Living

With the Coronavirus taking hold there is a lot of talk about hand sanitizers. Lucky us we stocked up on a couple of the Sam's Club medical grade bottles a couple of months ago when flu season took hold. Today hand sanitizer recipes are popping up left and right. These recipes are great for those that do not already have hand sanitizer on hand and need it. The can also be a great way for people to get sick because many do not have nearly enough alcohol. The CDC recommends a minimum of 60% alcohol to be effective. The most effective options contain 70% or more alcohol allowing them to kill more germs. So I took a trip to Walmart and snagged everything to make our own and adjust the recipe to ensure it is health care grade. This for us is vital because we have children and an elderly member of the family that loves to spread germs. How much alcohol should be in hand sanitizer? The CDC recommends that hand sanitizers have a minimum of 60% alcohol. This is effective on most germs. For the most effective hand sanitizer look for a minimum of 70% alcohol. If you are using a DIY recipe for hand sanitizer be sure to use a bottle of 91% alcohol allowing for the correct final dilution. How to make your own medical grade hand sanitizer. The biggest difference in the DIY hand sanitizer is that I changed the amount of alcohol allowing for maximum effectiveness. What you need for homemade hand sanitizer. 2/3 cup and 6 teaspoons 91% rubbing alcohol. 6 teaspoons vegetable glycerin 6 teaspoons aloe vera gelup to 10 drops of your chosen essential oil (optional)1/2 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide How to make your own hand sanitizer Start by gathering supplies and a container for your hand sanitizer. an old hand sanitizer bottle works perfectly or you can stop by the travel section for mini bottles or spray bottles. We opted for both to give us flexibility with both out homemade sanitizer and commercially produced. Poor 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol into a measuring up. Add another 6 teaspoons of alcohol. Follow by adding 6 teaspoons vegetable glycerin and 6 teaspoons aloe very gel. This will help protect your hands from the damage caused by the alcohol. The World Health Organization is recommending the addition of hydrogen peroxide to help kill off any bacteria that services the alcohol in the hand's sanitizer as an extra precaution. This is optional and usually recommended as The Who Waters down their concentration to a level less effective against the Coronavirus. If you are adding essential it is best to add it now mix well and pour into your desired bottles. Shake well before each use to ensure everything is spread evenly. What if I can't find 91% alcohol? If you can not find 91% alcohol you can still make the CDC recommended 60% alcohol hand sanitizer using 70% rubbing alcohol. For this, you will use 2/3 cups plus 12 teaspoons rubbing alcohol and 6 teaspoons aloe vera gel. Will hand sanitizer protect you from the coronavirus? Hand sanitizers like masks can be a useful addition to your coronavirus preparedness and prevention plan. While the best option is to wash your hands often anyone with a busy schedule, young kids, or the medically needy in the family knows how difficult it can be to wash hands as much as we really should when things get out of hand. Having hand sanitizer handy and ready to help is a great way to ensure you can kill germs needed when you don't feel well. Use hand sanitizer often when hand washing is not an option. Is homemade hand sanitizer effective? The effectiveness of homemade hand sanitizer is determined by the concentration of alcohol in the recipe. Follow the above directions for the best results.