Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer (Over 60% Alcohol) [Recipe] [UPDATED 8/17/20]

Make your own hand sanitizer using ethyl alcohol - Culinary Solvent

Updated 8/17/2020

When it comes to your family's health and safety, only the best will do.

Not all sanitizers and disinfectants are created equal, and not all are safe to use across all applications and on all surfaces. Recent announcements by the FDA concerning methanol have caused further concern for parents and caregivers to ensure the hand sanitizer they are using is safe and nontoxic.  

When it comes to killing germs and viruses, including flu viruses, it's important to keep our home and environment as safe and as nontoxic as possible.  Eliminate harmful toxic chemicals from your home, office, or nursery when disinfecting surfaces, areas, tools, toys....everything, by using only pure food grade ethyl alcohol (ethanol) whenever possible.  Culinary Solvent is pure ethyl alcohol, nondenatured (non-toxic) and delivered to your door direct from the distillery in Northern Maine.  

Does ethyl alcohol kill germs, viruses, and bacteria on surfaces?

Answer: Yes, so long as the concentration and contact time minimum requirements are met.  For a detailed answer with links to authoritative sources, visit Does Ethyl Alcohol Kill Germs, Viruses, and Bacteria

Easy 2-Step Homemade Hand Sanitizer [Recipe]

Yield: 12 fl oz hand sanitizer

Final Concentration After Mixing: 66%

Heads Up! It is important to measure your ingredients when making this recipe, if you dilute the alcohol too much (below 60%) you will be spreading germs not killing them! When in doubt, use more alcohol to ensure the effective killing of germs and viruses. 

Ingredients:

  • 8 fl oz, of 200 Proof (100%) Ethyl Alcohol. (Buy 200 Proof Alcohol Here)
  • 4 fl oz aloe gel (or any other moisturizing gel/lotion/cream/water)

Step 1 - In a glass bowl, combine the alcohol with the moisturizing gel/lotion/cream using the ratios provided above.  Mix well with a whisk until combined thoroughly.  If you shake to mix, allow time for the air bubbles to dissipate out of the foam created when shaking. This resting period will improve the final feel significantly.

Step 2 - Store your new homemade hand sanitizer in a bottle or container with a tight fitting lid.  Plastic or glass is preferable over metal containers.

Congratulations!
Your homemade hand sanitizer is finished and ready to kill some germs and viruses. Nice work!

Hand Sanitizer Recipe Complete Thumbs Up - Culinary Solvent

Hand Sanitizer Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add lotions, scents, essential oils, or other ingredients to my hand sanitizer recipe?

Answer:  Yes! Adding other ingredients like moisturizing lotions, essential oils, vitamins, or aromatherapy scents is a great way to further customize your hand sanitizer recipe just for you and your family's specific needs.  When adding other ingredients, subtract the volume added from the gel/cream component, never reduce the alcohol contained in the final mix.  Always maintain an ABV at or above 60% to ensure your hand sanitizer remains effective.

Tip: Re-purpose old empty hand sanitizer bottles, shampoo bottles, hand soap dispensers, or even used food condiment bottles, which all offer easy storage with built in dispensing. 

Remember: Never reuse containers that once contained bleach or ammonia.

Where do I buy alcohol to make my own hand sanitizer?

Answer: Use these links to browse alcohol for sale by the ABV or by the container size. Quarts  |  Gallons  |  Organic  |  100% Alcohol (200 Proof)  |  95% Alcohol (190 Proof)  |  All Items  |  How to tell ABV of your alcohol for hand sanitizer.

Does Culinary Solvent offer a certified organic option for making organic hand sanitizer recipes?

USDA Certified Organic Ethanol
Answer: Yes. Buy organic food grade ethanol here for making your own organic hand sanitizer.  Culinary Solvent's Organic food grade alcohol is available in quarts, gallons, 5 gallon jugs, bulk quantities, and 55 gallon drums. Culinary Solvent organic ethanol is available in 190 proof and 200 proof concentrations. All organic Culinary Solvent is distilled from 100% organic corn and certified organic by the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (Mofga.org). 

Is aloe vera gel a required ingredient for hand sanitizer recipes?

Answer: No, aloe vera gel is not a required ingredient for hand sanitizer recipes.   Aloe vera gel is useful in moisturizing the skin, and therefore is commonly included in most recipes for hand sanitizer. Alternatively, you can substitute aloe vera gel for your favorite lotion or cream.  Substituting aloe vera gel for your own lotion is an effective way to customize your hand sanitizer for maximum comfort and benefit. When substituting lotion for aloe vera gel, do not adjust the amount of alcohol used to ensure the antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties of your hand sanitizer are maintained.

Does homemade hand sanitizer expire?

Answer: The technical answer is no.  Hand sanitizer doesn't really expire, it becomes less effective over time.  If you've recently made a fresh batch of homemade hand sanitizer following the recipe on this page, you can expect it to last for at least 1 year, if stored in a tightly sealed bottle away from heat and sunlight. 

Can homemade hand sanitizer be used to disinfect surfaces (doorknobs, counter tops, electronics)?

Answer: No, recipes for homemade hand sanitizer containing less than 70% alcohol by volume are not recommended for use as a surface disinfectant.  Using product intended for sanitizing hands on a surface can result in germs spreading not dying.  

View our complete catalog of surface disinfectant recipes, customized to your specific starting alcohol (100%/95% Ethyl, 99%/91%/70% Isopropyl) .

Continued Learning About Hand Sanitizer

More Hand Sanitizer Recipes

 More Hand Sanitizer Frequently Asked Questions

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