How To Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer Wipes

You may have never thought about making your own homemade hand sanitizer wipes, but if you’re ever in a pinch (or just like to DIY), this recipe is easy, affordable, and very effective.

Right now there seems to be a shortage of hand sanitizer. With the viral outbreak of the coronavirus, COVID-19, the shelves have been emptied of hand sanitizer in all forms.

Instead of panicking like many others around me, I decided to make my own homemade hand sanitizer wipes.

And you can too with ingredients you may likely already have at home.

A quick Google search for homemade hand sanitizer wipes will return thousands of results. So how do you choose the right one?

For me, I wanted a homemade antibacterial hand wipe that would be effective enough to kill those microorganisms that cause the flu, COVID-19, and other viruses. That meant the recipe had to include the right ingredients.

Can you make hand sanitizer at home?

If you’ve ever wondered, if you can make hand sanitizer at home, the answer is, Yes. It’s relatively easy to do, and I’m going to share the simple steps to how I make it.

All it takes is isopropyl alcohol (the World Health Organization recommends 99.8%), hydrogen peroxide (3%), glycerin (98%), and distilled water.

One very important note before you start mixing, using hand sanitizer is no substitution for good, old fashion handwashing with soap and water. Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap is the best way to protect yourself from contagious diseases.

However, if you don’t happen to have a sink nearby and you need to clean your hands, a DIY hand sanitizer can be very effective.

And in just a few simple steps, you can make hand sanitizer at home.

How do you make antibacterial hand wipes?

Learning how to make antibacterial hand wipes is simple. You need only a few ingredients and some storage containers.

The recipe I found is based on the formula recommended by the World Health Organization. I adapted it to create DIY hand sanitizer wipes that can be used for hands and surfaces.

Although it’s very effective, this formula can be a little harsh on your hands due to the high percentage of alcohol used. This is why I included a second homemade hand sanitizer formula that includes aloe vera gel and is gentler on your hands.

How you make antibacterial hand wipes:

This recipe for homemade antibacterial hand wipes is based on the WHO formula:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of 99% isopropyl alcohol
• 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• 1 teaspoon of 98% glycerin
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of sterile distilled water
• 1/2 roll thick, cloth-like paper towels

Instructions:

1. Pour alcohol into container.
2. Add hydrogen peroxide.
3. Next, add the glycerin and stir or shake to mix.
4. Add water and stir/shake again to mix.
5. Cut roll of paper towels in 1/2 or 1/3 and remove the inner cardboard tube.
6. Place paper towel roll in storage container and pour solution over the roll. Secure tightly with lid.
7. Disperse wipes by pulling from inside of the roll.

DIY hand sanitizer gel with aloe

For a gentler, yet effective, antibacterial hand sanitizer, I opted for a recipe that includes aloe vera gel and essential oils.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 ounces pure aloe vera gel
• 3 tsp of the 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol (or 6 tsp of 91% rubbing alcohol or 9 tsp of the 70% rubbing alcohol)
• 1 tsp vitamin E oil
• 3 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a container with a lid.
2. Shake well to mix.
3. For a thinner consistency, add more rubbing alcohol, a little at a time, up to 1 teaspoon.
4. This formula will keep up to 2 months.

Be sure to properly label containers and store out of reach of young children. Again, handwashing is the best defense against viral diseases, but these homemade antibacterial hand wipes and DIY hand sanitizer will help in between washes.