Here’s How to Easily Make Your Own Hand Sanitiser at Home With Just 3 Ingredients

Coronavirus is officially here, and amid mass hoarding of toilet paper, cleaning supplies and hand sanitiser, we are forced to come up with alternatives to keep our families safe and healthy. Whether we are turning to bidets and family cloth (oh how confident and cocky we were back then!) in lieu of toilet paper or stocking our freezers and pantries with non-perishables, keeping our homes running is a priority.

One of our biggest concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic is running out of soap and hand sanitiser. We all know how important it is to wash our hands, refrain from touching our faces, and practise social distancing, but if we need to be out in public and can’t use good old soap and water, using a hand sanitiser is the next best thing.

With most shops completely sold out of hand sanitiser, we’ve discovered just how easy it is to make your own using only three ingredients. We’ve found two awesome recipes for you – one you can use as a gel, and one you can pop into a spray bottle.

Firstly though, it is super important to ensure that your mixture is at least 60% alcohol in order to kill the germs. You need to measure your quantities carefully for it to work and only use 99 percent isopropyl alcohol, otherwise the quantities will be off and your homemade hand sanitiser will not be effective. Here is the World Health Organisation’s guide to making hand sanitiser.

Hand Santiser Gel Recipe

Isopropyl alcohol (99 percent)
Aloe vera gel
Tea tree oil
Pump bottle

You can find isopropyl alcohol at hardware stores and supermarkets. Aloe vera gel and tea tree oil are also found in chemists and supermarkets. Everything can be sourced online too.

Mix 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part aloe vera gel. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to give it a pleasant scent. Place your sanitiser into pump bottles (you can find these in the travel section of supermarkets) and use.

Hand Sanitiser Spray Recipe

1 ⅔ cups isopropyl alcohol (99 percent)
2 teaspoons glycerol
1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup distilled water (or cooled boiled water)
Spray bottle

Mix the alcohol with the glycerol, then add hydrogen peroxide. Add the water and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into spray bottles and use. You can use the spray on paper towels (if you can find any!) and wipe your hands with it too.

Again, it is important to ensure that your sanitiser is at least 60% isopropyl alcohol otherwise it will not be effective.

Stay safe out there, everyone! Let’s flatten that curve.