To stop any kind of infectious disease from spreading it is important to take care of hygiene. The first step is to keep our hands clean.
What to do in the places where water and soap are not available. At this time, any alcohol-based hand sanitizer plays a major role.(1)
An alcohol-based sanitizer can quickly reduce the number of microbes on your hands. It can kill a wide range of disease-causing agents including novel coronavirus SARS CoV-2.(2)
During an outbreak of any kind of viral illness, these are the first things to disappear from the reach. There are out of stock at almost every pharmacy or shop where they otherwise are easily available.
What can you do then?
The good news is, making a hand sanitizer is not rocket science. All it takes is three easy ingredients that can be availed with not much difficulty.
How To Make A Sanitizer At Home?
Ingredients Needed To Make A Sanitizer At Home
Making a sanitizer on your own is easy to do an activity. It requires:
- Aloe vera gel
- Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol
- Any essential oil such as lavender oil, eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil, lemon juice can also be used
2:1 proportion of alcohol and aloe vera can be used, to keep the alcohol content around 60 percent in the sanitizer.
A minimum amount of 60 percent of alcohol is needed in a sanitizer to make it capable of killing most of the germs.(2)
Recipe To Make A Sanitizer At Home
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of isopropyl alcohol
- ¼ cup of aloe vera gel (this helps keep the hands smooth and protects them from the harsh alcohol effects)
- 10 drops of essential oil such as lavender oil or tea tree oil
- Lemon juice can also be used instead of essential oil
- You can also add a few drops of clove oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil or any other essential oil.
Method of Preparing a Sanitizer at Home
- Pour all the ingredients into a bowl
- Mix them with a spoon or a whisk till it turns into a gel-like consistency
- Pour the ingredients into an empty bottle
- Label the bottle as hand sanitizer
There are few tips to be kept in mind while making a sanitizer:
- Make sure the place you are making the sanitizer is clean. Wipe the counter with a diluted bleach solution beforehand.
- Clean the hands thoroughly before making a sanitizer
- The spoon or the whisk used should also be very clean. Wash them thoroughly before using
- Make sure the alcohol being used is not diluted
- Blend all the contents thoroughly
- Do not touch the mixture with hands, until it is ready to be used
How To Use Hand Sanitizer Effectively?
- Spray the sanitizer onto the hands and rub it till the hands turn dry. Make sure it covers the entire hand and fingers.
- If you feel the hands are greasy and dirty, wash them first.
- Continue rubbing the sanitizer for 30-60 seconds.
- Sanitizer can take 60 seconds and sometimes even longer, to kill germs.
Limitations Of A Hand Sanitizer
Sanitizers do not work if the hands are greasy and oily. While playing, eating food gardening, or playing a sport, hands tend to get very dirty and also at times greasy. This time opt for washing hands with soap and water instead of using a hand sanitizer.
Also, they are not able to kill certain types of germs such as:
Conclusion
Keeping the hands clean is the best way to protect you from any kind of flu and viral infections.
If hand washing is not convenient, carrying a sanitizer helps. The sanitizers should be alcohol base and should contain at least 60 percent alcohol.
If having a hard time finding a hand sanitizer, follow the above mentioned easy steps to make it at home. And make sure you make it keeping the hygiene measure in the mind.
Using sanitizers is an effective way to get rid of germs wherever possible. It is recommended by almost all health professionals when washing hands is inconvenient. It is the best way to ward of viruses and germ and make you stay safe and healthy.
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