How to Make Hand Sanitizer at Home
You may find yourself in a situation where you can’t wash your hands but still need to keep them germ-free. When this happens, you can use your own hand sanitizer, and 5-Minute Crafts will tell you how to make it at home.
Step 1: Prepare your space.
✅ Wipe down the countertops with a diluted bleach solution to make them free of germs.
✅ Wash your hands thoroughly.
Step 2: Gather the ingredients and tools.
✅ Collect all the ingredients that you’ll need.
- 2 parts Isopropyl, rubbing alcohol, or ethanol (91%-99%)
- 1 part aloe vera gel (or glycerin) for moisturizing your skin
- A couple of drops of essential oil for scent (you can choose from lemon, tea tree, clove, peppermint, or lavender)
❗ Don’t use any other types of alcohol (like methanol or butanol) as they’re toxic!
✅ Prepare the following tools and make sure that they’re clean.
- A bowl
- A whisk (or a spoon)
- A funnel
- A pump or squeeze bottle
Step 3: Combine the ingredients.
✅ Take a clean bowl and add all 3 ingredients to it.
✅ Mix the ingredients thoroughly with a whisk (or a spoon) to ensure that the alcohol is evenly distributed throughout the gel.
❗ Don’t touch the mixture with your hands until it’s ready for use.
Step 4: Pour the sanitizer into a bottle.
✅ Take a funnel and use it to pour your sanitizer into a bottle.
✅ Screw on the top of your bottle tightly.
Step 5: Let it sit for a while.
✅ Let your sanitizer sit for at least 72 hours after you’ve made it. This will help it to kill any bacteria that might have been introduced during the mixing process.
✅ Then you can use it on your hands!
How to use hand sanitizer:
✅ Apply the sanitizer to the palm of your hand.
✅ Then start rubbing your hands together, making sure that you cover the entire surface of your hands and fingers with the sanitizer.
✅ Rub the sanitizer into your skin until your hands are dry. This should take about 20 seconds.
❗ Don’t rinse or wipe off the sanitizer before it’s completely dry.