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DIY Hand Sanitiser
20 July 2021
The pandemic has caused Hand Sanitiser sales to skyrocket and in some cases sell out! The COVID19 virus and various strains have not been kind to us. Our T/Tree & Eucalyptus oil sales have sky rocketed! People are asking us questions, how to make there own DIY hand sanitisers, and DIY surface cleaners that are more natural than what they are finding in the supermarkets?
Some commercial hand sanitisers contain ingredients as scary as the germs they are meant to protect you from, so why not make your own! You’ll save money and help protect yourself from germs and nasty chemicals.
Eucalyptus oil has also disappeared from supermarket shelves, unfortunately those brands came from China! Now people are finding out what brands really are produced in here in Australia. We believe this is great! Emu Ridge Brand certainly is but its only available from our retail outlet on Kangaroo Island or online! Make sure you purchase product of Australia or produced in Australia other wise its not Australian!
Emu Ridge 🙌**Hand Sanitiser** Its a handy size, 125ml, and is 87% Isopropyl Alcohol, $9.50 You can buy online here
Most ingredients used in hand sanitisers will dry out your hands, these recipes are much gentler than the ones full of chemicals. A good moisturiser will help your dry hands, and we can help you with that to! Many DIY recipes contain ingredients like, alcohol, vinegar, aloe-vera, glycerine, witch hazel, these ingredients don’t to alot. With the exception of Rubbing alcohol (also known as methylated spirits) , you can buy this from Chemists, Supermarkets or Hardware stores, it will definitely kill germs, its the strongest out of vinegar and other alcohols, Isopropyl alcohol will kill 99.99 % or more of all non-spore forming bacteria in less than 30 seconds, both in the laboratory and on human skin, it also kills fungi, and stops some viruses..
Below are some recipes that are very simple and easy as long as you can find the ingredients.
Gel Hand Sanitiser
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of 100% Aloe Vera Gel,
2/3 cup of rubbing alcohol (99% isopropyl alcohol) you can buy this from your local chemist or hardware store!
3 drops of Tea Tree Oil & 5 drops of Eucalyptus Oil (optional clove bud oil and lemon myrtle oil)
Combine in a bowl, Stir and fill into a container.
Liquid Hand Sanitiser
Ingredients:
100ml Distilled Water,
1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt, about
4 drops of Tea Tree & 5 drops of Eucalyptus Oil
(optional clove bud oil and lemon myrtle oil)
Perfect for a spray bottle. Just shake the bottle each time before you use it! This will be helpful for people with sensitivities.
****General Purpose Sanitiser **** Highly Recommended
I personally made this recipe before we had drums of our own Alcohol. People don’t realise that Methylated Spirits is alcohol.
2/3 Methylated Spirits
1/3 Vinegar
5 drops of each essentials oils, I’ve been putting Eucalyptus, T/Tree, Clove Bud and Lemon Myrtle
Using on my hands and spray everywhere there maybe germs, stay healthy everyone.
Lotion Hand Sanitiser
A lotion type consistency to your liking depending on how much aloe gel you add.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup l Distilled Water,
1/3 cup % Aloe Vera Gel,
Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus oil, (optional clove bud oil and lemon myrtle oil)
If Aloe is a problem you can blend up you own from the leaf if you know someone who has at plant. You can also use Lemon Juice as an alternative to the essential oils to!
At the moment with no isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol products on the shelves metho is the same thing. The key to making an effective, hand sanitizer is to stick to a 2:1 proportion of alcohol to aloe vera. The alcohol content needs to be 60 percent to be most effective at killing germs to avoid people getting sick and spreading germs to others this is according to the CDC Trusted Source.
*Warning* Be careful with Methylated Spirits or alcohol rub on wooden surfaces, the acid can cause it to loose its shine or pattern. Plastic can also lose its color.
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GOOD ADVICE – WASH YOUR HANDS?
Washing your hands properly is still the best way to stop the spread of germs!
When you go to wash your hands, it is advised you first wet them under running water, wash the germs down the drain!.
Next, apply enough soap to cover both hands. Rub your hands together to create suds.
Use one hand to rub the back of the other, cleaning between the fingers as you go. Repeat with the other hand.
Rub your palms together, as well as the back of your fingers against your palms.
When you can’t wash your hands, hand sanitisers, will help.
A Useful Message from Dr Tim one of our Kangaroo Island Doctors
Fomites.
One of my favourite words from medical school and also an important one to be aware of in the COVID19 pandemic
It now seems inevitable that most (estimates suggest 60-70%) of us will catch coronavirus in next 22 months…for the vast majority of us this will be a mild disease – especially children. Projections are that around 80% of those affected will have a mild disease, which confines them to home but doesn’t require a visit to the doctor or hospitalisation (important note – antibiotics won’t work on viruses!)
A further 10-15% (the numbers are fuzzy) will experience severe symptoms which may require hospitalisation – from needing some supplemental oxygen via mask, through to full-blown intensive care including intubation and ventilation. Outcomes for the latter are grim. Particularly for the elderly, or those with comorbidities (heart or lung conditions especially) this could be life-limiting.
Whilst the reported mortality is low compared with some other diseases….around 2% – the sheer numbers affected in countries such as Italy and Iran means that hospital systems – even in developed countries (and Lombardy had an excellent heath system) will soon be overwhelmed UNLESS you take steps to minimise exposure and spread.
So what does this have to do with fomites?
Well, you should be aware by now (despite the dearth of consistent media messages from Govt) to practice social distancing of 2m or so from folk when you are out and about….to practice cough etiquette (cover your nose and mouth) and to wash your hands regularly (soap and water is fine, just do for at least 20 seconds).
What you may not have considered is the potential for fomites transmission.
A fomite is defined as “any inanimate object that, when contaminated with or exposed to infectious agents, can transfer disease to a new host”
Which could be…
– the hand rail on the tram, which someone has sneezed upon earlier is now a vector for disease
– the cutlery in the pot on the table at the cafe, may be a source of transmission
– door handles
– tabletops and so on
Which means – if you’re going out – start to think about fomites around you. And perhaps consider how you’ll protect yourself if/when COVID19 really kicks off (projections are a few weeks – again a little fuzzy but we’re into the DELAY phase now, not CONTAINMENT).
For me, this will mean keeping a healthy distance away from people – handwashing with soap and water – cleaning door handles, tabletops, cutlery if eating out.
If unwell, then home isolating and using phone for advice (no point going to doctor and spreading germs, just stay put and take advice). If affected and have to go out, wear a mask and for the love of God dont sneeze or cough on people!
Food for thought.
Stay healthy everyone from the Emu Ridge Team on Kangaroo Island 🙂
#eucalyptusoil #australian #teatreeoil #clovebudoil #handsanitiser #handmade
