How to make your own hand sanitizer

Many shelves are bare of hand sanitizer aroundr Sonoma, but you can easily make your own.|
INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

A quick check of CVS, Whole Foods, Safeway and Rite Aid locations in Sonoma Valley on Tuesday found all sites at least temporarily sold out of hand sanitizer as a result of fears of the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

Luckily, making your own is surprisingly easy.

Experts agree that an effective hand sanitizer must contain at least 60 percent alcohol, by volume, to work.

“If you make it well, it’s about as effective as using soap and water,” Dr. Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York, told CBS News on Tuesday. “We know it works - just make sure it has enough alcohol in it.”

Adding aloe vera adds the necessary thickness and a few drops of an essential oil will give your concoction a nice smell.

------

How to make your ?own hand sanitizer:

2/3 cup of Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol

1/3 cup aloe vera gel

5-10 drops of essential oil (optional)

Pour the alcohol and aloe vera in a bowl and stir until blended. Add several drops of essential oil and stir to help mask the smell of alcohol. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into clean empty squeeze containers.

Dr. Sanjay Maggirwar, professor of microbiology at George Washington University, told CBS News that if properly closed, homemade sanitizers can last weeks in a closed bottle.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor