Update 4-23-2020: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-hand-sanitizers-inactivate-novel-coronavirus-study-finds#Active-ingredients
The below instructions are valid. The researchers in the above article even said alcohol as low as 30% would likely inactivate it, though it's important to allow 30 seconds of contact to inactivate all of the COVID-19 proteins/cells. The CDC is still recommending 60% and promoting handwashing, and I side with the CDC. I have to say, however, only use hand sanitizer when hand washing isn't an option or if you think you've had contact; and keep any leftover aloe vera because sanitizer will dry your hands out with frequent use.
An optional ingredient is a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, but if you are like me - your stores are cleared out of it. They said regular sanitizers like this one would also work, in theory. The only difference, really, is 0.125% hydrogen peroxide and a minute amount of glycerine.
I am working on a version 2.0 of this DIY as I get better at the process, and I have now acquired glycerin (Amazon) and Hydrogen Peroxide. I am considering one on soap-making as well.
As many of you know, I had unconfirmed COVID-19 and was pending test results as of yesterday afternoon, I was given a negative result this morning which is good news; unless of course it's a false negative. I am still ordered to quarantine despite the negative result which tells me the tests are not very accurate. Also, having a 6" swab shoved down my nasal cavity wasn't my favorite!
I live for ingenuity. I also love information and consider it my first priority to learn as many new skills as I can, while studying an eclectic range of subjects at all times; such as when extremely bored in quarantine! I figure, put the knowledge to use and inform others!
This isn't just instructions on how to make hand sanitizer, it's information about the ingredients, particularly alcohol aka ethanol or ethyl alcohol and why I believe it is effective against COVID-19 without it having been researched specifically.
My local stores are completely stripped of isopropyl alcohol, witch hazel, hydrogen peroxide, and many other things I would consider to be basic staples like household cleaners, dish and handwashing soaps, ramen noodles, rice, etc.
While you can find many tutorials online on how to do this, I am going to show you how I did it with some of the money I made writing articles here on Publish0x. In fact, Publish0x is covering what my insurance did not when I was given four prescriptions on Saturday (4-11-2020) at the hospital in addition to this DIY project. Being able to breathe is much appreciated, you have no idea!
First, alcohol can and will kill viruses; not just germs/bacteria. Coronavirus falls into one of the easier to kill categories which despite the lack of research at this moment in time, it's likely impossible for COVID-19 to survive contact with 60% alcohol or above. I don't take risks in this area and I am very confident it can and does effectively kill COVID-19; rendering it incapable of spreading despite the CDC stating it hasn't been tested - well, that would take all of five minutes to test by a proper infectious disease specialist, wouldn't it?
What happens when alcohol contacts a virus with a similar cellular structure to COVID-19, which would be an enveloped virus, is a process called denaturation in which the alcohol combined with water breaks the cellular walls and disables the proteins that keep them living and reproducing.
In Mycology, it was considered common knowledge for a long time to use 92% isopropyl alcohol to sanitize glove boxes, only to later find out that 70% was more effective at breaking cellular walls due to the water getting into places the alcohol otherwise would not. This sanitizer operates under a similar principle, but instead of microscopic grooves in plastic, we will be going after fingerprints and hand lines where viruses can harbor.
First Ingredient: Ethyl Alcohol. In particular, Everclear or generic Everclear. I lucked out because my liquor store stocks their generic Everclear with their lower alcohol percentage generic vodkas which most people wouldn't look for. Perhaps yours does too...
So, in short - everyone spent an arm and a leg on sanitizers and stripped the medical shelves while completely neglecting the fact there was superior alcohol for a cheaper price just around the corner. This type of behavior is typical for most Americans, sadly.
Now, for those that don't know, Everclear is the highest legal alcohol level permitted in grain spirits for human consumption and is illegal in some states in the USA and many countries; they typically sell watered-down versions; such as in Minnesota. Even the Irish frown on this one for recreational drinking, and here in Wisconsin we allow the stronger version. In fact, one of our local distilleries shut down operations and began making hand sanitizer for the public to give out for free using a similar method recently.
So what is Everclear, generic or otherwise? It's legal moonshine and is no different than vodka in composition, often made from the same grains. Vodka, however, doesn't have a high enough alcohol percentage to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria, 60%+ alcohol is required with 70% being noted as more effective with isopropanol, though many doctors and healthcare professionals are considering 60% ethyl alcohol to be more than efficient, saying coronavirus is readily neutralized with hand soaps and 20 seconds of hand-washing, but what if you can't find hand soaps or you want more peace of mind as I do? Or, if you want both, as I do?
Alcohol at a higher percentage than this is typically made in a laboratory using various forms of fermentation and distillation. Isopropyl alcohol rated to 99.9% is usually reserved for cleaning electronics because it completely evaporates and won't damage hardware components and is quite expensive, and no more effective. I've brewed some wine, beer, and spirits in my days so I jumped on the opportunity to buy cheap "legal moonshine" for this purpose. I picked up a 1 liter aka 1,000ml bottle of "Volkov 190 Proof aka 95% alcohol" for a mere $15 USD. Anything from 151 to 190 proof will have enough alcohol to measure volumetrically, and in all honesty 151 proof may be the better way to go for your hands. Hand sanitizer isn't to be abused or to replace hand-washing with soap and water.
The milliliter measurements are important because when you mix these ingredients, it must be done using a volumetric ratio to reach the proper percentage of each ingredient. Luckily, there aren't many ingredients required!
I really don't recommend drinking the stuff! I quit drinking but I was a bourbon and IPA man... I still make non-alcoholic bloody mary's (aka virgin mary's) sometimes, it took me years of experimenting recipes to find a way to make them taste normal, haha! This stuff (moonshine) not only kills livers for fun, the "burning buzz" is awful, as are the hangovers.
So, perhaps we should use it for a more practical purpose such as slowing down a pandemic virus - there is a lot more good Booz on the shelves than Everclear at the moment; the economy isn't that far gone but preppers and people living in fear are going after most of what they can find already.
Their preparation isn't a bad idea. Just remember to only take what you need for you and yours, nothing more. Subsistence living has been effective for over 50,000 years in Australia by the Aboriginal peoples who operate under this same idealistic viewpoint. Perhaps, we should take a note out of their book. Even under COVID-19 circumstances, there is plenty of global resources to go around for everyone if we are not greedy and help others when possible.
Second Ingredient: My store only had one kind of aloe vera gel and it's high-grade organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and all that fun stuff that usually carries a heavy price tag, but I was able to get 32 fluid ounces (32 x 30 = 960ml or just shy of a liter, approximately) for about $6. I was surprised to find any; they had just restocked, and that quality for that price is excellent in my area. Cheaper kinds will work as well but try to avoid extra ingredients outside Vitamin E and glycerin, which are also optional additives for this mixture. However, Don't use any brands with "cooling" properties, this can end badly due to chemical reactions, it is best to use pure aloe vera gel, regardless of the brand.
I already had some essential oils on hand and I used Lemon for my family. I am kind of a new-age hippie, though you wouldn't know by looking at me unless I revealed some ink... or opened my mouth in regards to nature and politics. However, this isn't a required ingredient, it simply adds scent to your sanitizer and certain essential oils such as tea tree oil and cinnamon oil are known to have anti-viral, anti-fungal, and immune-boosting properties, among others.
This type of medicine isn't well enough researched and for this purpose, it is for optional scent only as the alcohol itself is more than sufficient to kill germs, bacteria, and most viruses. I am not saying they do not have medical properties, I am simply saying it doesn't matter because the alcohol will do all the work. I recommend going lighter on the essential oil/s or you may end up with some really stinky hand sanitizer. It's not a required ingredient.
***Safety Precautions*** READ THIS BEFORE DOING ANYTHING.
First of all, I am not liable for anything you do with this information, nor is Publish0x. This can be dangerous and if you are unsure of your ability to do this, DO NOT attempt it.
Buy or make a funnel because be warned: Everclear, generic or otherwise is going to fume like crazy and the less time you spend mixing around the fumes the better (that's alcohol evaporating, by the way).
This is not good to breathe at all, so I advise you do it either outside or in a well-ventilated area away from anything that could give off a spark. This stuff is highly flammable and will explode, Molotov cocktail style. Not a laughing matter. Please be careful.
It's also really harsh on your hands which is why you mix it with aloe vera (and/or Vitamin E oil), so they do not dry out or get a chemical burn, and for this reason, it is best to wear gloves while mixing the ingredients. I highly recommend you do it outside if at all possible. I did it in my fenced in back yard away from people.
I opted for a spray bottle as a container because I did not have ready access to glycerin, which is an unnecessary ingredient that simply thickens up the final product into a gel-like consistency like you typically see with commercial hand sanitizers; though I will note it slows evaporation to a degree. You can add some of this in if you can obtain and afford it, but it isn't going to make it more effective. So, I might as well be able to spray the stuff, though any container that has a tightly sealed lid will do, otherwise, the alcohol will slowly evaporate! You can always use something like a mason jar and get fancier everyday plastic containers later on, the mixture should stay good for at least 1 year if stored in a dark, cool, dry place without any air leaks.
I picked up a clear 32 fluid ounce (1 US liter is 1,000 milliliters) spray bottle for $1 USD. I found a collapsable funnel for $3 USD. Altogether, this cost me about $25 USD to make a large quantity of hand sanitizer, well over a liter. Now for a little basic math.
To make a hand sanitizer that will effectively kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria, you will need at least 60% alcohol, and with 190 proof alcohol, you will want to use as much aloe as possible. For the sake of fighting over 60% and 70%, I am going to break down the recipe at roughly 63% Ethyl alcohol which is more than sufficient while allowing more volumetric room for nourishing aloe vera gel to compensate for the harshness of moonshine! Typical Purell hand sanitizer is 62% to 70% Ethyl alcohol.
Regardless of which measurements below you use to make your sanitizer, you will need to make sure the area you are making it in is well cleaned. You will also want all utensils (funnel, stirring tool, blender itself, etc) to be well washed prior to starting. Your hands are also tools, wash them prior to putting on gloves.
I do not recommend you use bleach to clean the area as some have suggested for this DIY because bleach combined with alcohol turns into chloroform, hydrochloric acid, chloroacetone and/or dichloroacetone. They are all highly toxic. In fact, never mix bleach with anything but water - even beware of mixing it with tap water with too much chlorine or chloramine!
I have personally experienced very bad chemical burns in my mouth, throat, and lungs learning to never mix bleach with anything! It's extremely painful. Don't play around!
Wicked's DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe:
Metric (Technically, Volumetric) Instructions to fill a US/Imperial 32 oz bottle or 946.35 metric milliliters (There is a variance between the milliliters in imperial to metric conversion):
630ml - 190 Proof ethyl alcohol
315ml - Aloe Vera Gel
Optionally: 8-10 drops of your essential oil/s of choice, and 10-20 drops of Vitamin E oil. I recommend you go light on essential oils because once it's mixed there is no changing your mind. I recommend 8 drops of essential oil and 20 drops of vitamin E oil, but they are not required ingredients.
I rounded off the numbers for easier instructions, and the leftover room is helpful during the pour to the final container which also allows a little space for the extra ingredients if you choose to use them. Also, my alcohol comes measured in imperial ounces, so there was a decent amount of extra.
USE A FUNNEL TO POUR THE MIX INTO CONTAINERS!
Imperial aka American instructions:
1 part aloe vera gel to 2 parts 190 proof ethyl alcohol (Everclear 190, or a 190 generic, which is 95% ethyl alcohol)
Optionally: 8-20 drops of your essential oil/s of choice, and 10-20 drops of Vitamin E oil. I recommend you go light on essential oils because once it's mixed there is no changing your mind. I recommend 8 drops of essential oil and 20 drops of vitamin E oil, but they are not required ingredients.
I recommend using half-cups to measure unless you are making a larger quantity than 32 ounces, and even then it's probably a better idea so you don't end up with too much of one or the other for the size container/s you have. Working out the math for the volume of your containers ahead of time is a good idea.
The same recipe can be replicated with 151 Proof Everclear or generic Ethyl alcohol, and should "in theory" still be very effective:
1 part aloe vera gel to 1 and 1/4 parts 151 proof ethyl alcohol (Everclear 151, or a 151 generic, which is 75.5% ethyl alcohol)
You can blend the ingredients, or you can whisk them in a bowl. I recommend using a blender if you have one, it will have a better consistency. Also, whisking releases more noticeable fumes. If the fumes get out of hand, immediately turn off, then unplug the blender and move it or the bowl outside.
Then you *carefully* pour the ingredients into your container/s WITH A FUNNEL, cap and seal them tightly, and label it/them as hand sanitizer. You don't want anyone confusing it with anything else, and keep it out of the reach of children! Additionally, wash the area, all the utensils - blender, bowl, whipping tool, and your hands once you are finished.
I hope this served as an informative article on not just how to make hand sanitizer from alcohol, but why.
As someone who was just operating under the assumption that they had COVID for a month, I find this information to be highly useful and grant a little more peace of mind as I suffer through further isolation. My condition is currently diagnosed as a 'lower respiratory infection' pending a COVID antibodies test to see if I did have it before and am now becoming asymptomatic. The nurse who gave me the news over the phone told me the probability of a false negative is higher if you are not presenting a lot of symptoms at the time of the test, and I wasn't.
Spoiler: This will kill all the other flu bugs, colds, and etc floating around as well! Nothing worse than catching one of those and thinking you have coronavirus, except maybe catching them both...
Stay safe everyone! We will prevail.
-Thomas Wolf
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