How to make sanitizer gel at home to protect yourself from COVID-19 & other infections

Washing hands is the most important step that you need to follow to stay away from germs, especially in the wake of the recent COVID-19 outbreak. To avoid getting contaminated, it is best to wash your hands with soap and water now.  But if you do not have any such option, it is best to have a  hand sanitizer bottle with you to wash your hands. Nowadays, commercial hand sanitizer’s are getting expensive, and as the shortage of hand sanitizer is increasing day-by-day due to COVID-19 (Corona Virus), you will have to practice making the hand sanitizer on your own. Preparing your own hand sanitizer at home is an easy process that you can follow. So, here are some steps from which you can prepare home-made alcohol-based sanitizer that will kill all the germs.

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Four Easy Steps to make Alcohol-based hand sanitizer at home-

First Step

Collect all the required ingredients

This Alcohol-based hand sanitizer mostly matches the commercial kind. It does not contain any of the chemicals that are added to the sanitizer because of which they smell bad. Make sure that you do not replace hand washing totally with hand sanitizer; just use the sanitizer when you actually need it. Here's is the list of ingredients you will need for preparing hand sanitiser at home-

• 2/3 cup 99% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or 190-proof grain alcohol
• 1/3 cup pure aloe vera gel
• 8 to 10 drops essential oil, such as lavender, clove, cinnamon, or peppermint
• Mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Spoon
• Funnel
• Plastic container

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Second Step

Blend the alcohol and aloe vera gel in the bowl together

• Put all the ingredients into the bowl and use the spoon to mix them all well. The mixture should be absolutely smooth and fine.
• If you want the solution of hand sanitizer to be thicker, you can put another spoonful of aloe vera.
• And if you want it to be thin, you can do it by adding another spoonful of alcohol.

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Third Step

Add the essential oil

• Make sure you add one drop of oil at a time and keep stirring as you go. Once you are done with some 8 drops, smell the mixture to see whether you like the fragrance. Add or stop adding the scented oil as per your preference of scent.
• Lavender, clove, cinnamon and peppermint are some of the essential oils that have the added benefit of providing extra antiseptic properties to the blend.
• If you do not prefer these scents, you can also go for Lemon, grapefruit and passion fruit.

Fourth Step

Funnel the mixture into the container

• Keep the funnel over the mouth of the container in which you want to pour the hand sanitizer. It is advisable to use a pump bottle so that you do not have to open the cap every time you use.
• A small spray bottle will be the best option if you want to carry the sanitizer with you throughout the day.
• If you make too much for the bottle, save the leftover sanitizer in a jar with a tightly-fitted lid.

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