DIY Hand Sanitizers and Disinfectants
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1 hours
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Beginner
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- 10-30
Luckily, you can make some powerful basic cleaners from the comfort of your home with a few household ingredients. To protect against serious threats like COVID-19, you'll want to go beyond the natural cleaning solutions we often recommend, and work with materials that have been certified by authorities as effective against this particular threat.
Alcohol Hand Sanitizer
The simplest solution is alcohol, bleach, glycerin and water. The United States Centers for Disease Control recommends solutions with at least 60% pure alcohol content. That doesn't mean 60% vodka and 40% water—most drinking alcohol is already just 40%, so diluting it with water would make it even less effective.
Start with a highly concentrated alcohol like 99% isopropyl. Pour four cups into a clean glass or plastic container, then add a quarter cup of household bleach (3% hydrogen peroxide), taking care not to get any on your skin.
Next, add four teaspoons of glycerin, which will keep your hands from drying out when you use the finished product. Top it off with a cup of water that has boiled and cooled, and pour it all into your favorite dispenser. The total alcohol of this solution should be 75%, which you can test with an alcoholmeter.
Let the solution rest for 72 hours to make sure any germs still inside have died.
Bleach Surface Disinfectant
To make a bleach cleaning solution for wiping or spraying surfaces, start with household bleach intended for disinfection (some, such as those designed for clothing or whitening, may not be suitable). Make sure the expiration date has not passed—the solution won't be strong enough if the bleach has lost its punch.
Never mix household bleach with other cleaning products like ammonia. Complete this process in an area with good ventilation, and protect your hands from exposure to the bleach.
Mix five tablespoons of bleach (1/3rd of a cup) into one gallon of water, or four teaspoons of bleach into one quart of water. The resulting mixture can be used to clean surfaces, and will be effective against coronaviruses. When applying the solution, keep the area well ventilated and leave the mixture on the surface for at least one minute.