Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Make an alcohol-based odorless antiseptic gel
• Method 2 of 3: Add natural essential oils
• Method 3 of 3: Make an ethyl alcohol antiseptic gel
• Warnings

Hand washing with soap and water is the traditional and safest way to get your hands clean. However, in some cases, we simply do not have the opportunity to go to the sink and open the tap. In such situations, a compact and effective tool comes to the rescue - an antiseptic alcohol hand gel. You can easily make such a gel at home. Making an antiseptic gel can be a fun experience for both children and adults. Make a gel with your own hands - you will get a wonderful product that will help protect your family from dangerous germs, and in this case, you will not have to spend money to buy a similar product in the store. You can even pour the finished product into small bottles and use them as gifts!

A warning: For a hand sanitizer to effectively kill bacteria, it must contain at least 65% alcohol.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Make an alcohol-based odorless antiseptic gel

1. 1 Prepare the required ingredients. The ingredients you will need to make an antiseptic gel are often used around the house. So try searching the shelves - you may already have everything you need. If something is missing, you can buy the missing ingredients at the hardware store or pharmacy, or even order online. All you need is natural aloe vera gel and isopropyl alcohol (at least 91%).
   • For your gel to be as effective as pre-made antiseptic gels (such as Sanitelle or Dettol), the finished product must contain at least 65% alcohol. Thus, using 91% isopropyl alcohol will allow you to obtain the final product with the desired active ingredient concentration.
   • If you bought 99% isopropyl alcohol, use it. The higher alcohol content in the finished gel will help kill germs more efficiently.
   • You can buy aloe vera gel at many stores, but pay attention to how natural the product is. To buy a natural gel without additives, carefully read the composition of the product on the packaging or in the product description in the online store. The degree of naturalness of the gel does not affect the effectiveness of the final product, however, the more natural the gel you take, the less aggressive and useless chemical components your antiseptic will contain.
2. 2 Prepare the necessary fixtures. You do not need to buy any special tools - most likely, you already have everything you need at home, and you can easily prepare the necessary tool. You will need a clean bowl, a small spatula or spoon, a funnel, and an empty liquid soap or antiseptic gel bottle. If you do not have a suitable empty bottle on hand, you can use any other container. The main thing is that it can be closed with a lid.
3. 3 Mix the ingredients. Measure out 3/4 cup (180 ml) isopropyl alcohol and 1/4 cup (60 ml) natural aloe vera gel. Place the ingredients in a bowl and rub thoroughly with a spatula or spoon until you have a homogeneous substance.
   • If you don't feel like manually mixing the ingredients in a bowl, you can use a food processor.
4. 4 Pour the finished product into a bottle. Use a funnel to gently pour the contents of the bowl into the bottle where your gel will be stored. Close the container with the existing dispenser or lid. You just made your own antiseptic gel and you can start using it!
   • The product you make will retain its properties for 6 months (or even longer). Store it in a place protected from sunlight - this will help the product maintain its antiseptic properties for a long time.
   • Transfer some of the product to a small container to carry in your bag, backpack, or briefcase. If you bought a small package of antiseptic gel from a store, do not throw away the bottle when the product runs out. These bottles are usually very convenient to use, so you can pour your hand-made product into it.
   • If you want to use a new bottle for your product, look for small containers at home improvement stores and large supermarkets. Small bottle kits are usually sold in the travel department.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Jonathan Tavarez

   
   
   Building Hygiene Specialist Jonathan Tavares is the founder of Pro Housekeepers, a premium cleaning company headquartered in Tampa, Florida that provides home and office cleaning services across the country. Since 2015, Pro Housekeepers has been using intensive training methods to ensure high standards of cleaning performance. Jonathan has over five years of professional cleaning experience and over two years of experience as Director of Communications for the United Nations Association in Tampa Bay. Received a BA in Management and Marketing from the University of South Florida in 2012.

   Jonathan Tavarez
   Building hygiene specialist

   Expert advice: “If you don't have a funnel handy, pour the prepared gel into a plastic breakfast bag, then cut the bottom corner of the bag with scissors. This will help you to gently pour the gel into the desired bottle without getting the sticky substance all over the place. "

   
   
5. 5 Use the antiseptic gel correctly. To effectively cleanse your hands of dirt and microorganisms, the product must be used correctly. Before you apply the gel to your hands, examine them. If you can see dirt on the skin with the naked eye, using the gel is useless - it will not be able to wash off the dirt from your hands like water and soap would.
   • Pour as much gel into your palm as will fit. For 20-30 seconds, rub the gel thoroughly over the skin so that it covers not only the palms, but also the back of the hands, the skin between the fingers and wrists. Don't forget the skin under your nails!
   • Wait until the gel is completely dry - no need to dry your hands or rinse off the gel with water.
   • When the gel is completely dry, you can assume that you have treated your hands properly.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Jonathan Tavarez

   
   
   Building Hygiene Specialist Jonathan Tavares is the founder of Pro Housekeepers, a premium cleaning company headquartered in Tampa, Florida that provides home and office cleaning services across the country.Since 2015, Pro Housekeepers has been using intensive training methods to ensure high standards of cleaning performance. Jonathan has over five years of professional cleaning experience and over two years of experience as Director of Communications for the United Nations Association in Tampa Bay. Received a BA in Management and Marketing from the University of South Florida in 2012.

   Jonathan Tavarez
   Building hygiene specialist

   Our specialist has the same opinion: “The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that in order to effectively clean your hands with an antiseptic, you need to use just enough gel to distribute it all over your hands. Then rub your hands together (as if you were washing them with soap and water) until the gel has completely evaporated. Remember to use the gel only when you cannot wash your hands with soap and water. If your hands look dirty or you think they are sticky, antiseptic gel is useless - it will not be able to effectively deal with such contamination. "

Method 2 of 3: Add natural essential oils

1. 1 Think about the purpose for which you want to add essential oils. Essential oils are added primarily for a pleasant scent.
2. 2 Choose essential oils for aromatherapy. While there is no confirmed evidence, some believe that inhaling the scent of a certain essential oil has a stimulating effect on the brain and triggers certain mental and emotional responses. If you add a certain oil to your antiseptic gel, using it will not only cleanse your hands of dangerous microorganisms, but you may also get an additional positive effect from the scent. You can limit yourself to one oil or add several at once to create your own scent. Here are some of the most popular essential oils that are commonly added to sanitizing gels.
   • Cinnamon essential oil is believed to help combat drowsiness and promote better concentration.
   • Lavender essential oil can help relax and induce a sense of calm.
   • Rosemary essential oil is considered beneficial for more efficient information processing, attention and memory.
   • Lemon essential oil has an invigorating scent that can lift the mood and make a person feel more energized.
   • Peppermint essential oil has an invigorating scent that some consider beneficial to a depleted nervous system and improves clarity.
3. 3 Be careful. Natural essential oils are usually sold in concentrated form and improper use can lead to negative side effects. If you are pregnant or have any immune system problems, never use essential oils without first consulting your doctor. If you haven't used essential oils before, be sure to do a skin oil sensitivity test before adding it to a hand gel or applying it to your skin.
   • Never apply undiluted essential oil to your skin! The concentration of active ingredients in essential oil is very high, so this oil can irritate the skin.
   • When you buy an essential oil, try to find a product that is as natural as possible. Check the label for words such as 100% Natural, Suitable for Aromatherapy, Organic, and All Natural.
4. 4 Add the oil of your choice (or several oils) to the hand gel. Measure out 2/3 cup (160 ml) isopropyl alcohol and 1/3 cup (80 ml) natural aloe vera gel, then place the ingredients in a bowl. Add ten drops of essential oil (or different oils). Remember: no more than ten drops! Rub the contents of the bowl thoroughly with a spatula or spoon until you have a homogeneous substance.

Method 3 of 3: Make an ethyl alcohol antiseptic gel

1. 1 Prepare the required ingredients. Most of the ingredients you will need to make an antiseptic gel are used quite often in the household. So try searching the shelves - you may already have everything you need. First of all, you will need 95% ethyl alcohol. For effective skin disinfection, it is necessary that the antiseptic gel contains at least 65% alcohol, so a lower concentration of ethyl alcohol is not suitable for your purposes. You will also need a natural aloe vera gel and essential oils of your choice.
   • Always check the alcohol percentage: it must be at least 95%.
   • Remember that you will be diluting the alcohol with the other ingredients so that the final product will contain a lower percentage of alcohol.
   • The choice of essential oils depends solely on your preference. The most common oils used to make hand gel are lavender, lemon, peppermint, geranium, cinnamon, tea tree and rosemary oil. You can add only one type of oil to your hand gel, or a combination of different oils. However, do not forget - no more than 10 drops (of one oil or a combination of oils) per glass (240 ml) of gel.
   • When choosing aloe vera gel, pay attention to how natural the product is. You want a natural gel with no additives, so read the packaging carefully to find out what the ingredients are.
2. 2 Prepare the necessary fixtures. You will need a clean bowl, a small spatula or spoon, a funnel, and an empty liquid soap or antiseptic gel bottle. If you do not have a suitable empty bottle on hand, you can use any other container. The main thing is that it can be closed with a lid.
3. 3 Mix the ingredients. Measure out 2/3 cup (160 ml) ethyl alcohol and 1/3 cup (80 ml) natural aloe vera gel and place the ingredients in a bowl. Add ten drops of essential oil (or several types of oil). Rub the contents of the bowl thoroughly with a spatula or spoon until you have a homogeneous substance.
   • You can change the number of components used if you like. The main thing is to adhere to a certain ratio of ethyl alcohol and aloe vera gel. In order for the final product to have the necessary antiseptic properties, one often needs to take aloe gel for two parts of alcohol.
   • If you don't feel like manually mixing the ingredients in a bowl, you can use a food processor.
4. 4 Pour the finished product into a bottle. Use a funnel to gently pour the contents of the bowl into the bottle where your gel will be stored. Close the container with the existing dispenser or lid. You just made your own antiseptic gel and you can start using it!
   • Try to use all of the prepared product within a month. Store it in a place protected from sunlight.

Warnings

• Antiseptic Alcohol Gel is a compact and convenient hand sanitizer. Use it only when you are unable to wash your hands with soap and water.
• Try to use the antiseptic gel wisely - you don't need to use it multiple times throughout the day. Alcohol dries out the skin, so try to use the antiseptic gel only when it is impossible to wash your hands with soap and water (for example, when traveling and traveling).
• Keep in mind that hand sanitizer - store bought or handmade - must be kept out of the reach of children.
• If you measure the ingredients incorrectly, you may be out of proportion and the alcohol content will be too low - which means that your gel will be ineffective. Make and use a homemade sanitizer at your own risk.