Hand Sanitizer DIY

Don't get scared, get DIY'ing. Here's a simple recipe for a hand sanitizer that meets the CDC requirements, plus some alternative options! 

Effective DIY Hand Sanitizer—Safety First

If you're going to DIY, you should keep some of the following guidelines in mind:

First of all, the CDC recommends a 60% alcohol dilution, with a minimum of 30% alcohol. 

Second, use rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alcohol, which is different from the alcohol you drink (aka "ethanol"). 

Third, the rubbing alcohol that's sold in stores is already diluted to a level that will be printed on the label (often it's 70%, 91%, or 95%). So, keep in mind that you'll have to adjust for that dilution to get your final product to 60% alcohol. 

Essential Oils as Sanitizers

At S.W. Basics, we are excited about the research showing that essential oils (and lots of other natural ingredients) can be effective at killing some bacteria and viruses. We even wrote a book about it. That's why we added essential oils to this formula to supplement the sanitizing power of the alcohol, and we recommend them in your DIYs and around your house in general. We used clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil, but feel free to try any from this list: 

-oregano oil

-tea tree oil

-clove oil

-eucalyptus oil

-thyme oil

-fennel oil

-peppermint oil

-ginger oil

-rosemary oil 

And make your essential oil blend no more than .5-1% total of your formulations. Here's the blend we used in our hand spray at the maximum dilution for a 2 ounce bottle. 

33% eucalyptus (or roughly 4 drops) + 50% clove (roughly 6 drops) + 16% tea tree (roughly 2 drops) = 12 drops or 1% dilution for a 2 ounce bottle 

Easy Hand Sanitizer 

Recipe

63% rubbing alcohol (95% dilution), or

66% rubbing alcohol (91% dilution), or

86% rubbing alcohol (70% dilution) 

13, 39, or 36% lavender hydrosol depending on your rubbing alcohol dilution

.5%-1% essential oil blend, recipe above 

How To

1. Convert measurements based on size of bottle. (Note: 1 tablespoon = . 5 fluid ounce.)

2. Measure and pour in the alcohol (if you don't have equipment to measure the exact right amount, feel free just to round up on the alcohol; you can always use less lavender hydrosol)

3. Measure and pour in the lavender hydrosol

4. Dropper essential oils blend, 6 drops is .5% of a 2 ounce bottle, and 12 drops is 1%. 

5. Shake well. 

To Use

Shake well and spritz, leave time to dry. This product does not replace hand washing, it is an additional supplement to everything you're already doing right.  

PS-We made some too if you're not so into DIY...

 Stay strong and stay healthy, S-Dubbers!