Hand washing with soap and water is best. Over-sanitizing is not my jam. There are occasions where this stuff is useful. Many companies have begun to make less toxic and effective hand sanitizers and I have some linked in my Hand Sanitizer Highlight. If you keep a few simple ingredients on hand, you can make your own too and very inexpensively.
The final product should be at least 60% alcohol to be effective. Alcohol is very drying to the skin so I like to add a little aloe to help counter that. I also like adding @planttherapy germ destroyer to my mix to boos the antimicrobial properties and it smells wonderful too.
If you’re using vodka, it’s important to note that the “proof” number is double the actual alcohol content. To reach a 60% or higher final alcohol content in your sanitizer, you need a very high proof vodka, like everclear (190 proof = 95% alcohol).
Here are some sample ratios:
99% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol:
* 2 parts alcohol
* 1 part aloe vera gel
Everclear:
*2.5 parts alcohol
* .5 parts aloe Vera gel
91% Isopropyl or Rubbing Alcohol:
* 3 parts alcohol
* 1 part aloe vera gel
70% Isopropyl or Rubbing Alcohol:
* 9 parts alcohol
* 1 part aloe vera gel
Mix. Fill. Close. Shake. Use. The thicker ones may work as a gel or a spray. The 70% is really only gonna work as a spray.
Some essential oils are reported to have antimicrobial properties. They include:
* Cinnamon
* Eucalyptus
* Lavender
* Lemon
* Marjoram
* Peppermint
* Rosalina
* Spruce
* Tea Tree
* Thyme
* Oregano
Not all essential oils are recommended for use on or around children so I love the Kid Safe Germ Destroyer blend I mentioned which has shown great results in some experiments against other oils and disinfectant cleaners.
Some aloe gels will clump. I don’t see that as a problem if it does. It hasn’t happened to me yet but some of you shared you experienced that. I like this one by @beautybyearth and I’ve also had good results with a couple others (linked in my amazon shop).