Would you like to make your own alcohol-free hand sanitizer? Commercial hand sanitizer contains a high percentage of alcohol, which can make it dangerous for children to use unsupervised.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RU7JYE_tog Read on to learn how to make alcohol free hand sanitizer.
Hand Sanitizers Cause Hundreds Of Child Poisonings
This video is a news report from Boston's WBZ TV that discusses the dangers of hand sanitizer and small children. The girl featured in the video developed a blood alcohol level of .10 after putting hand sanitizer in her mouth. The doctor on the video maintains that the toxic dose for a 2 year old is only a teaspoonful.
Introduction
Hand sanitizers seem to be ubiquitous these days, with the familiar little bottle on teachers desks, carried in purses, and even tucked in school lunches. This product, which is designed to stop the spread of germs, has its own health hazards, however. Most contain enough alcohol to cause serious injury or death if ingested by a small child. The CDC recommends that hand sanitizers contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective., and has not issued an opinion on the efficacy of non-alcohol based hand sanitizers. In order to be effective, the hand sanitizer must be at least 60% alcohol.http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm Soap and water is still considered the best method for controlling germs on the hands, but using an alcohol free hand sanitizer may be helpful in between hand washings.
Step 1: What You Need to Make Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer
To make one cup of alcohol free hand sanitizer, you'll need:
- 2/3 cup of distilled white vinegar
- 1/3 cup of aloe vera gel
- 10 drops of tea tree oil
- A clean bowl and whisk
- An empty container or containers for the hand sanitizer
- Funnel
Step 2: How to Make Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer
- Pour the aloe vera gel into a bowl.
- Add the vinegar and whisk until combined.
- Add the tea tree oil and blend well.
- Transfer the finished hand sanitizer into the container(s)
- Tightly seal the containers.
Step 3: Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer Variations
- You can substitute pure witch hazel for half of the vinegar, if desired. Make sure its pure witch hazel; commercial witch hazel can contain up to 14% alcohol.
- Add additional teas tree oil if desired. Tea tree oil is an antimicrobial, and may be useful as an antiseptic. It can be irritating to the skin, however, so be careful not to add too much.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tea-tree-oil/NS_patient-teatreeoil/DSECTION=synonyms
- Add a few drops of lavender or other essential oils for fragrance.
