With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, safety precautionary measures such as social distancing, washing of hands regularly, sneezing into the elbow etc., have been re-emphasised. And it's no surprise that the price of personal hygiene products like hand sanitiser has gone off the roof.
This should not be a reason to panic. You can make your hand sanitiser at home using materials that can be found at your local pharmaceutical store.
The process of making hand sanitisers can also be a fun exercise for your older kids (please ensure they wear protective clothing such as hand gloves, otherwise they can watch from a safe distance).
Materials needed
- Isopropyl alcohol (99.8%) - 16 cups
- Hydrogen peroxide (3%) - 1 cup
- Glycerol (98%) - 5 tablespoons
- Sterile distilled or boiled cold water
5-litre gallon
Funnel
Measuring cup & spoon
100 ml plastic bottles with leak-proof tops
** Glycerol is used as a humectant to promote retention of moisture on the skin.
**Hydrogen peroxide is used to inactivate contaminating bacterial spores in the solution and is not an active ingredient for the hand sanitiser.
**The materials and measurements used in this production were adapted from WHO-recommended measurements for home-made hand sanitiser.
Instructions
Step 1 - Pour the isopropyl rubbing alcohol into the 5-litre gallon.
Step 2 - Then pour the hydrogen peroxide into the gallon.
Step 3 - Add 5 tablespoons of glycerol. You can rinse out the glycerol with a little water as it tends to stick to the spoon/funnel.
Step 4 - Top up the plastic gallon with 3 cups of water.
Step 5 - Cover the gallon with its cap as quickly as possible to prevent the alcohol from evaporating.
Step 6 - Mix the solution by shaking the gallon gently.
Step 7 - Divide up the solution into its final containers and store them in a cool dry place for up to 72 hours. This is to allow any spores present in the alcohol or the final containers to be destroyed.