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September 9, 2011 · by Beverly

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

cleaners, personal care

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** This recipe has been updated to use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol at a higher percentage.

Read the update here: = = >>>   Homemade Hand Sanitizer Update

Homemade Hand SanitizerI don’t think I’m really a germaphobe, but there are times when I do like to have some hand sanitizer handy.  For some folks, that time is after using the grocery store cart.  Others like some hand sanitizer after shaking lots of hands in a public place.  For me, I like a little squirt of hand sanitizer after pawing around in thrift stores.  I think we all have our moments when we feel vulnerable to germs.

I started thinking about hand sanitizer because I had a cute little pump bottle that was sitting around unused.  The pump bottle came in a two pack with a mist bottle, which was the one I really wanted to use with my Homemade Glycerin Skin Moisturizer.  I plunked the pump bottle on my dresser and I’d been looking at it for a couple weeks wondering how to put it to good use.  I finally decided it would make the perfect little bottle for some hand sanitizer in my car.  And of course from there I started thinking, why not make my own?

HOW MUCH RUBBING ALCOHOL?
In my search for how to make homemade hand sanitizer, I found that most recipes used rubbing alcohol.  This made sense as there needs to be some way to kill germs.  Commercial hand sanitizers like Purell will have a concentration of somewhere between 60% to 90% alcohol.  Some of the homemade recipes were specifically trying to avoid that much alcohol and were using just a teaspoon or two and were then supplementing the mixture with tea tree oil or peppermint oil that are thought to have antiseptic properties.  Other recipes were attempting to stay to true to the higher mixture of alcohol, but might add an ingredient like glycerin  to combat the drying effects.  Ultimately, I liked a very simple recipe that used equal parts aloe vera gel and rubbing alcohol.  This mixture was 50% alcohol so it was quite close to the commercial brands.

DOES IT SMELL LIKE ALCOHOL?
Many of the homemade hand sanitizer recipes called for a few drops of an essential oil to add a little fragrance to the mix.  I decided to skip this step.  When I tested my homemade hand sanitizer for the first time I found that, yes, there was a distinct smell of rubbing alcohol, but it disappeared almost immediately.  Alcohol evaporates very quickly and the smell was gone within seconds.

WHAT ABOUT THE COST?
Hand sanitizer is abundant in dollar stores.  I’m sure you can always find a bargain somewhere on little bottles of hand sanitizer.  But I always have a bottle of aloe vera gel in the house because I have found it is the most wonderful thing for a sunburn.  I always keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my medicine cabinet too.  I like the thought that at anytime I can make some homemade hand sanitizer with ingredients on hand.  I calculated that my little batch of homemade hand sanitizer cost me about 20 cents.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

HOMEMADE HAND SANITIZER

You will need:
Aloe Vera Gel
Rubbing Alcohol  (Use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol)
Few drops of essential oil in the fragrance of your choice (optional)
A pump or squirt bottle

** Update – Use 2 parts 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to 1 part Aloe Vera Gel

Combine equal parts aloe vera gel and rubbing alcohol in a small bowl and mix together well.  I used 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel with 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol.  Stir in an essential oil if using.  Transfer to a squirt bottle or pump bottle.  Do not use a spray bottle as this is a gel-like mixture.

The hardest part of this recipe was transferring it into my little travel sized bottle (I ended up using a funnel).

You can make this recipe as big or as small as you like.   Aloe vera gel is usually easy to find, and as you can see in the picture above, I bought mine at Target.

 

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Comments

  1. Susan says

    August 29, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    Lower percentage Isopropyl Alcohol is more effective in killing Coronavirus because higher percentage alcohols evaporate before they entirely kill the germ…

    Reply
    • Susan says

      August 29, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      https://labproinc.com/blog/chemicals-and-solvents-9/post/the-difference-between-isopropyl-alcohol-ipa-99-and-70-25

      Reply
  2. Ellise says

    August 1, 2020 at 6:20 pm

    I may have already posted a comment, but I just want to tell you again how much I love this homemade hand sanitizer! All my co-workers love it, too! I’ve read comments that say theirs was a thin mess. I don’t find that the case with mine at all. I add a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil to mine. I whisk it until it thickens up to form a soft green gel. It’s a great consistency after that.

    Reply
  3. ellise says

    June 14, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    You need to whisk it together in a bowl. It will start to gel while whisking. Also, I added a little coconut oil to it. Love it!

    Reply
  4. Rosie says

    June 8, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    I have tried this mixture a couple of times. All I get is globby gel with watery alcohol. It does not mix. A waste of ingredients.

    Reply
    • Ellise says

      August 1, 2020 at 6:22 pm

      Try whisking it with a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil. Keep whisking until it thickens up.

      Reply
  5. Barbie Biggs says

    June 3, 2020 at 11:27 am

    You can use Ever Clear 190. That gives you a very high alcohol content to start with. Sold in the alcohol section.i can’t believe anyone would drink this stuff! But great for hand sanitizer.

    Reply
    • Ellise says

      June 14, 2020 at 7:42 pm

      Someone told me about Ever Clear. Will try that next time!

      Reply
  6. J says

    May 15, 2020 at 5:43 am

    Didn’t work at all, was just completely runny and seemed to curdle my aloe vera gel… gutted I’ve now wasted a whole tube of something I use every day

    Reply
  7. Steph says

    April 29, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    I have witch hazel and Hawaiian tropical aloe Vera with moisturizer
    How much of each do I use

    Reply
  8. Mark A Strohecker says

    April 20, 2020 at 10:48 am

    i could only find 50% rubbing alcohol (ISOPROPYL)if i take the whole32 oz bottle how much more of the other 50% do i need to add to make it at least between 60%-93%.I am making sanitizee and 50% isnt enough to kill germs.FDA says 60%and up

    Reply
  9. Joyce Lombard says

    April 17, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    How much of each do you measure help please?

    Reply
    • Ellise says

      August 1, 2020 at 6:24 pm

      I use two cups of alcohol and one cup of aloe vera gel. Add two teaspoons of coconut oil and whisk until thickens.

      Reply
  10. Jeannelle says

    April 6, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    I I followed the directions and it’s really watery what do I do?

    Reply
  11. connie ridenour says

    April 5, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    Can i use banana boat sun gel with aloe instead of plain aloe.all plain aloe is out but banana boat sun gel has aloe in it,has alchol in it but want to know if i can just add alchol to it

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      April 6, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      Yes, you should be able to use that type of gel in this mixture. It’s OK if there is some alcohol in the gel already too.

      Reply
  12. Ang says

    March 31, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    Ok I read 9 parts to 1 part. Say you you want 100ml nearest us mesurment is 3.4oz. So we get 6.8 tablespoons ( 1/4 cup plus 2 tsp 70% rubbing alochol) add (1 tbsp glycerine or aloe vera). Shake it up get a spray bottle it is a spray sanitizer not a gel. Has the advantage stick a tissue in your pocket spray on shopping carts light switches door handles and your hands. 85% of the product need be alochol to be effective this puts you around 63% alochol content. You need be above 60%.

    Reply
    • Ang says

      March 31, 2020 at 10:58 pm

      To get the numbers we have to start with
      60% our target ÷ 70% alochol current content x that by 100= 85% so 85% need be alochol based and the small percent skin conditioner

      Reply
  13. Trina Manhardt says

    March 30, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    what if you can only find 70% alcohol?

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      April 3, 2020 at 8:54 am

      I did a little calculating based on the helpful info in another comment that the mixture then needs to have 85% of the mixture be alcohol. My calculations came up with a 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol with only 4 teaspoons of aloe gel. This would end up being a very liquid consistency mixture so you would want to put it in a spray bottle I think. I also think it would still be worth it to add the 4 teaspoons of aloe gel for a little moisturizing help in the mixture.

      Reply
  14. Brenda says

    March 28, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    I used 2/3 alcohol and 1/3 aloe and turned out runny

    Reply
  15. Scott Rosenquist says

    March 26, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    I have a bottle of banana boat soothing after sun with aloe gel can I make hand sanitizer with rubbing alcohol 91%

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      April 3, 2020 at 9:28 am

      Yes, this would be a type of gel you could use.

      Reply
  16. Patty Hastings says

    March 25, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    I have a pack of 4oz Tupperware containers with lids. I fill them with cotton rounds (used to remove makeup) and saturate them with rubbing alcohol, and pull one out each time I need one.

    Reply
  17. Diane says

    March 25, 2020 at 10:58 am

    I used the after Sun gel with aloe as this was all they had at Walmart. It’s sticky at first but when it dried my hands were so soft. That’s a win/win!

    Reply
    • Ellise says

      August 1, 2020 at 6:26 pm

      That’s what I used, too. It works great! Try adding a little coconut oil to it. Soft hands is the perk!

      Reply
  18. Jim says

    March 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    Can we substitute grain alcohol for rubbing alcohol?

    Reply
  19. 1Hope4All says

    March 22, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    If you use more alcohol, you could add a little distilled water which can then be added to a spray bottle.

    Reply
  20. dm says

    March 20, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    This happened to me as well. Mix in a disposable cup, a blob will float in the mixture, pick up with a fork (it will stay together) squeeze out the blob of aloe that forms back into mixture. once squeezed out you will have a piece that is about the size of chewed gum. toss this. This mixture is more liquid than the purell but just as effective as long as you keep the 60% concentration. I add a few drops of laevendar and tea tree to help with the alcohol odor.
    Make small batches as needed.
    BE sure to use 91 or 99% alcohol. If you have 70% alcohol you really can’t mix anything with it because you will risk diluting it under 60%. If you are good at math you can calculate how much you can add to the 70% rubbing alcohol so you don’t go below the 60% concentration.

    Reply
  21. Maggie says

    March 20, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    Our Police Dept in town are running out of hand sanitizer. Maybe I could make a batch for them for their cars.

    Reply
    • 1Hope4All says

      March 22, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      You’d have to make a whole lot of batches! Knock yourself out if you have a whole lot of alcohol and aloe vera. You could also use glycerin instead of the aloe vera gel.

      Reply
  22. Jo B says

    March 20, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    The 99% pure organic aloe gel I bought online wouldn’t mix with the alcohol, it stayed separated no matter how much I whisked or stirred. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • 1Hope4All says

      March 22, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      Add water and shake vigorously. Just use less aloe and more alcohol to keep ratios so as to still have at least 60% alcohol. I prefer to have at least 65% to 70% alcoho. You could also use glycerin instead of the aloe vera gel. It’s not as thick but still thick enough to help with emulsion and keep hands from drying out.

      Reply
  23. Ruth Van says

    March 20, 2020 at 11:27 am

    awesome idea!

    Reply
  24. Nelly says

    March 19, 2020 at 8:46 am

    Hi do I have to use all the alcohol and mixed with the aloe?
    And then add the essential oil?

    Reply
  25. Christi says

    March 19, 2020 at 8:38 am

    Thank you so much! I just knew there had to be a way to make it at home!

    Reply
  26. Abby Young says

    March 18, 2020 at 10:49 pm

    We just made a batch due to the Corona Virus!! Super easy to make!! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  27. Pam says

    March 18, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    My aloe was completely dissolved. Any tips on how/why this could be avoided? Or happened?

    Reply
  28. Kimberly says

    March 17, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    I made this today and put. In my diaper bag.

    Reply
  29. Renee Sterling says

    March 17, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    What if all you have is 91% isopropyl alcohol? What ratios would you use rendering this still effective? Has anyone tried this and had a gel like consistency?

    Reply
  30. Christina Vigil says

    March 17, 2020 at 12:43 am

    Thanks John I got a bit, I thought that was it , but not so thank u

    Reply
  31. Lory says

    March 16, 2020 at 8:22 am

    I made this but found it sticky, I made it 2/3 alcohol 1/3 aloe gel..I didn’t have the essential oil.

    Reply
    • Brenda says

      March 28, 2020 at 12:22 pm

      Mine turned out runny

      Reply
  32. Tammy says

    March 16, 2020 at 8:01 am

    Great idea!!!

    Reply
  33. Maribel says

    March 15, 2020 at 10:32 pm

    Where can we get aloe vera gel?

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 16, 2020 at 9:06 pm

      Normally you can find this by other personal care items in most stores (often by other hand lotions). It is sold online too.

      Reply
  34. Sandy says

    March 15, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    This is a nice recipe. But because you have to use the aloe to make it a gel, it dilutes the alcohol too much. 60% is not enough to kill the virus. I don’t have an answer to the problem. A good friend is a scientist/dr and was explaining it to me. Still must be better than nothing, just be aware…

    Reply
  35. Jolene says

    March 15, 2020 at 9:07 am

    Hi there! Thank you for your recipe… Is it feasible to replace the aloe vera gel from a bottle with REAL aloe vera gel from the plant? Thank you, Jolene.

    Reply
  36. Dan says

    March 14, 2020 at 8:50 pm

    Couldn’t you just fill the squeeze bottle to almost half and then fill the rest of the way with alcohol, then shake well?

    Reply
  37. Judy says

    March 14, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    The hardest part is finding 99% alcohol.

    Reply
  38. Christina says

    March 14, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    Hobby lobby, in their soap making dept

    Reply
  39. Anne Lane says

    March 14, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    Where can I buy glycerin to add to it?

    Reply
  40. Pamela Talbot says

    March 14, 2020 at 11:31 am

    You can go to a liquor store and get the strongest proof vodka you can find. Or get something like Everclear, which is 100% alcohol. It works!

    Reply
  41. Kate says

    March 14, 2020 at 11:07 am

    Thank you. That’s great that you mentioned alcohol because it is essential to kill bacteria all of them like virus. Oils don’t work as good as alcohol.

    Reply
  42. Lisa Washington says

    March 13, 2020 at 10:21 pm

    I’m sure, it’s basically used as moisturizer to mix with the alcohol. And I’m sure it would contain aloe if it’s after sun gel!

    Reply
  43. Lisa Washington says

    March 13, 2020 at 10:16 pm

    I completely agree!! Hard to find hand sanitizer but I had these two ingredients in our home!

    Reply
  44. steve says

    March 13, 2020 at 8:59 pm

    can i use banana boat after sun gel with aloe instead of the aloe vera gel?

    Reply
  45. Muriel says

    March 13, 2020 at 8:00 am

    Very helpful as all I’ve got in the house are aloe vera gel and both 91% and 99% alcohol. Mixing some sanitizer today. Thanks.

    Reply
  46. Birdie says

    March 12, 2020 at 9:32 pm

    I used 2/3 alcohol and 1/3 aloe and it is not gel like at all.

    Reply
  47. Kendyl thiel says

    March 12, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    This worked! I am so exited. It defiantly helped. Just a warning THIS PRODUCT WORKS its just a little sticky you just have to let it dry first.

    Reply
  48. sylvia says

    March 11, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    Great idea. No mess either

    Reply
  49. NOLAgirl says

    March 11, 2020 at 3:26 pm

    what a great idea!

    Reply
  50. Jeanne says

    March 11, 2020 at 2:36 pm

    In this case and time it’s NOT about money saving! It’s about prevention! When all the stores are out of hand sanitizers you have no other choice!!!! Better to be safe than sorry!! A small amount is better than none!

    Reply
  51. emilymiller1286 says

    March 11, 2020 at 8:47 am

    Great idea! That’s what we do in my pharmacy when compounding creams that will be put into jars!

    Reply
  52. John says

    March 10, 2020 at 5:20 pm

    Candy. whatever you use to make this hand sanitizer, you can use anything to measure out the liquid like a cup. So if you use a cup then it is your “part” of the final gel. So in the case of these directions, you would use 2 parts ( two cups of the 98 % isopropyl alcohol ) ADDED to 1 part ( one additional cup of the Aloe Vera gel) then stir together to end up with three parts or a total of three cups of your newly created hand sanitizer. As a former math teacher, I hope this helps you out. Stay healthy!)

    Reply
    • John says

      March 10, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      Typos are my boo boo, remember Math NOT English.

      Reply
  53. Michelle DiDonato says

    March 10, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    Parts is a simple way of identifying any measure. an ounce, or a cup, or a half cup, Whichever measure mode you choose, you would use twice as much alcohol as you would aloe. Two parts to one part or 2:1

    Reply
  54. SusanS says

    March 10, 2020 at 1:45 pm

    Mix it in a ziplock then cut off the corner to pour into small bottles!

    Reply
  55. Candy moore says

    March 9, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    Dont understand the 2 parts.

    Reply
    • John says

      March 10, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      See my response above for you.

      Reply
  56. Mike says

    March 9, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    Drug store, dollar store, pharmacy etc.

    Reply
  57. Amy Prentiss says

    March 9, 2020 at 3:19 pm

    Where do you get 99% isopropyl alcohol?

    Reply
  58. Brittany says

    March 9, 2020 at 1:02 am

    Yes agree I had to also make mine.

    Reply
  59. Rose McNeil says

    March 8, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    Bought 70% isopropyl alcohol today at Meijers & Walmart.

    Reply
  60. Barbara Israwi says

    March 6, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    What amount of glycerin can I add to your revised recipe?

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 11, 2020 at 7:48 pm

      If you try to use glycerin instead of aloe gel, I would still stick with the 2:1 ratio (use 2 parts alcohol mixed with 1 part glycerin).

      Reply
  61. Jenny says

    March 5, 2020 at 9:12 pm

    No stores have any at this point so it’s kinda DIY or die lol

    Reply
  62. Jim says

    March 5, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    No, must be 60% or more

    Reply
  63. Elaine says

    March 5, 2020 at 7:21 am

    Do you just carry the cotton balls with you and rub your hands with them? This is interesting..

    Reply
  64. Judy says

    March 4, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    Thank you!!! During this Coronavirus scare, hand sànitizer is gone from the shelves. I will definitely make my own, acoording to your instruction. ❤️

    Reply
  65. Barbara says

    March 3, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    I have read that to be effective against viruses it should be a minimum of 60% alcohol

    Reply
  66. Sherry L Stafford says

    March 3, 2020 at 5:26 pm

    I could only find 50% proff of rubbing alcohol, will this still be as effective? All the stores around me are sold out.

    Reply
  67. Tammy Hart says

    February 29, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    I get my aloe at dollar tree

    Reply
  68. Ivy says

    March 9, 2017 at 9:28 am

    In China,we just use cotton balls soaking in 70%alcohol

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      March 5, 2020 at 7:23 am

      Do you just carry the cotton balls with you and wipe your hands with them?

      Reply
  69. Jerry Gibson says

    May 20, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    If you use a foaming dispenser, then it will be a foam hand sanitizer, and perhaps you won’t feel the alcohol as much. On May 19, 2015 was my 1st encounter with Foaming hand sanitizer, and I prefer it over the regular hand sanitizer. It had more of a dry feel than a wet feel.

    Reply
  70. Doris says

    March 30, 2014 at 10:08 am

    Hi,
    This didn’t save any money for me, (though a good idea) The Aloe was 4.00 and the Alcohol over 1.00. I can buy a lg. jug of Hand Sanitizer for 5.00 the homemade remedy didn’t even fill the empty container.
    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 30, 2014 at 1:38 pm

      It’s true that you can probably find store bought hand sanitizer that is cheaper. For me this was still a good strategy because I always have aloe gel in the house and always have rubbing alcohol in the house, so I’m able to mix up a batch from supplies I already have on hand.

      Reply
  71. Chad says

    November 13, 2012 at 9:53 am

    I think it is extremely important to inform you that your sanitizer DOES NOT contain the required alcohol percentage to kill germs. You are using 70% alcohol and mixing it 50/50 with aloe gel. This, in theory, says that your alcohol percentage is approximately 35%. This will NOT kill germs. You NEED 65-70% alcohol to make your sanitizer effective. If you hare making this recipe, you will need to use 99% to 95% alcohol and less aloe/glycerin/other gels. With your recipe, all you get is a bottle of false security.

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      December 2, 2012 at 5:46 pm

      I did some investigation on your concerns and have made revisions to the recipe as well as writing an entire new post on the subject. Thanks for your input.

      Reply
    • Susan says

      October 27, 2017 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks so much! Yours is the first intelligent response! So many of these day recipes will do nothing to sanitize anything!

      Reply
  72. Rosemary says

    November 2, 2012 at 10:20 am

    I just want to point out that, from the looks of that bottle of “aloe gel”, it is not a pure aloe product. This means that you may get unwanted artificial ingredients, such as dyes, in your hand sanitizer. Folks may want to look for the real thing, such as Lily of the Desert’s product. Since it is kind of clumpy, one would want to put the hand sanitizer mixture into a blender to smooth it out before filling the pump bottle.

    Reply
  73. Bev says

    March 22, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    Rebecca – Perhaps Vitamin E gel would make a good substitute for the aloe vera gel. You can get a 12 oz bottle on Amazon for $6.99 which is not too pricey.

    Reply
  74. Rebecca Allison says

    March 20, 2012 at 9:46 pm

    Is there a replacement for the Aloe Vera gel? My hubby is allergic to it.

    Reply
    • Rohan Platts says

      March 6, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      Vegetable glycerine

      Reply
  75. Zombiemommy says

    September 10, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    This is great. The origins of most things in the dollar store are questionable anyways.

    Reply

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