The deadly contagion, COVID-19, is claiming more and more victims as days go by. This highly contagious viral disease has spread to all corners of the globe in just a little under 3 months’ time. But you can easily keep yourself safe if you follow the basic guidelines like washing hands with soap and water, practicing respiratory hygiene and avoiding contact with infected people. The most important of all the safety precautions is keeping your hands sterile. Nothing beats washing with soap and water for 20 seconds. But sometimes, you may be faced with a situation where you may not have access to soap and water. In such cases, you can use a hand sanitizer.
But thanks to panic buying, and in some cases hoarding by unscrupulous traders, sanitizers are in short supply. Many markets across the world are reporting an acute shortage of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. So, what do you do? Keeping your hands clean and sterile is very important if you want to keep COVID-19 at bay. The option here may be very simple. Just make your own sanitizer. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)says that you can make an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol.
Make your own hand sanitizer
The best things about this is that you don’t even have to make elaborate arrangements or buy exotic ingredients to make your own hand sanitizers. All you need are three basic items and you are set to go. These home-made sanitizers will kill 99 per cent of germs and pathogens. But be sure to make it in clean and sterile surroundings. Wash your hands properly before starting and keep a sterile bottle ready for storing the finished product.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (99 per cent)
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
A few drops of any essential oil. If you have trouble finding essential oil just use juice of lemon instead. This will work fine.
Directions:
Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix properly. You can use a whisk or blender to do this. You will get a gel-like consistency. Your hand sanitiser is ready for use. Pour it into a clean and dry bottle.
The right way to use hand sanitizer
Now that your sanitizer is ready, just take a few drops in your hands and rub it into your skin till dry. It is better to use it on clean hands. While rubbing your hands together, be sure to cover the entire surface like back of hands and between the fingers. Rubbing for 30 to 60 seconds will do the trick. But do it till your hands are dry. This will kill most germs.
Things to keep in mind
These home-made hand sanitizers are meant for emergencies only. Make these if there is no access to proper handwashing facilities. It is not for children. Their skin is sensitive, and this can cause rashes in them. Follow instructions to avoid injury. You need to make these sanitizers in a sterile environment. Be careful while handling the ingredients to prevent spills which can cause skin irritation, injury or even burns.