How to Make Homemade Waterless Hand Sanitizer

It's always better to wash your hands well to clean them-especially if they're soiled-in order to remove dirt, bacteria, viruses, or other microbial organisms. However, when hand washing isn't possible, a waterless hand sanitizer may do the trick. The Food and Drug Administration has stated that in order for a waterless hand cleaner to effectively kill germs, however, it must contain at least 60% alcohol.

Below are two recipes for homemade, waterless hand sanitizers that will assist in cleaning your hands, and possibly help soften them as well. The first recipe meets the FDA "percentage of alcohol" recommendation. When you're exposed to so many germs on doorknobs, phones, keyboards, and practically everything you touch in public, using a waterless hand cleaner with at least a 60% alcohol content might be something to which you'll want to give some serious thought.

Recipe 1
1/4 c. Aloe gel
3/4 c. isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
2 Tbsp mineral oil
4-8 drops lavender, peppermint, or other fragrant oil

Mix well and pour into small plastic bottles. Shake before using.

Recipe 2
This alternate recipe has less alcohol, and because it uses scented baby oil as one of the ingredients, there's no need to add other fragrant oils. Remember, though, that less alcohol means less germ-fighting potential.

1/4 c. Aloe gel
3 Tbsp isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
2 Tbsp scented baby oil

Mix well and pour into small plastic bottles. Shake before using.

Both of these hand sanitizer recipes make a liquid (not a gel) sanitizing hand cleaner, so pour or squirt it onto your hands slowly so that you don't get too much. Also, please note that although the first recipe meets the FDA standard of at least 60% alcohol, the author has not conducted scientific research on the recipe, and makes no claims that it is germicidal or that it will effectively prevent swine flu (H1N1 flu) or any other illness.

What should you do if you're ever in a situation where neither soap and water nor waterless hand sanitizer is available? At that point, there is another option to try. Some sources claim that the friction from rubbing your hands briskly together for a few minutes creates enough heat to kill many of the germs on your palms and fingers. If you're in a pinch and without waterless hand sanitizer, you can always try rubbing your hand together and then clean them with hand sanitizer as soon afterward as you're able.

Sources:
Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-washing/HQ00407
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no03/05-0955.htm
1st-in-handwashing.com: http://www.1st-in-handwashing.com/handwashing_techniques.html