Hand Sanitizer

[thethingswellmake]

Anyone have luck actually making sanitizer? I just tried a batch 1 cup 91% rubbing alcohol to 1/2 cup aloe gel. It wouldn't mix, had to put it in a big bottle and shake the heck out if it.
The final product was water thin and so strong alchohol smelling, I don't think any amount of EO would cover it.
I ended up dumping it all. Might as well put straight alchohol in a spray bottle.

I did a lot of experimentation to make a hand sanitizer and found that most things just won't stay together with such high amounts of alcohol. The thickeners separate out and in many cases get very gummy.
Aloe gel is the same way- unless the aloe gel uses a more synthetic thickener that holds up to the alcohol. It will separate too.
My conclusion was that a spray made with alcohol, glycerin, and water is the most convenient, but was also able to make a thin gel with carbopol. I'd shoot for around 70% as an ideal alcohol content.
I tried just about everything I could think of, and most things didn't work. (That includes gums like xanthan and guar, gelatin, agar agar, etc.)
You can see pictures of the experiments here: https://thethingswellmake.com/diy-hand-sanitizer-that-actually-works/

 

[shunt2011]

Just a bit of a look from the "inside" - I work for a company that makes labels. We just got a super rush order for labels for hand sanitizer. But they cut the order from 1 million labels to 500,000 labels - because they are having a hard time locating bottles.

We had to go to a secondary source to get the material, because our primary source has literally overnight had doubled demand.

I have an order of hand sanitizer for my office coming in next week, but we're only getting 1 pump to go with our 4 jugs. Not a problem, we're re-using containers, but just something I hadn't thought of.

Maybe some of our suppliers can make some cash selling their stock of bottles to hand sanitizer and hand soap companies?

Nature’s Garden has bottles. I ordered 100 2 oz and 50 1 oz yesterday and received them today.

 

[moodymama]

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-make-hand-sanitizer

This one looks simple enough but I want to make a 70% solution, not 60%.

If you are using 99.9% and want 70% , 99.9 is close enough to 100 to say use 70% of your end product as alcohol.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

The problem I’m having with bleach is that all my work virus updates say that bleach needs to be refreshed/remade every day as it breaks down.

I did not realize it broke down so quickly. Thank you for that information. I need to do some more research.

 

[BattleGnome]

I did not realize it broke down so quickly. Thank you for that information. I need to do some more research.

My work has not offered any sources but safety first. If you find anything to the contrary please let us know

 

[DeeAnna]

"...Disinfecting Bleach Solution (½ cup Clorox® Regular Bleach2 added to 1 gallon water) The disinfecting solution has very specific instructions for mixing and use because Clorox® Regular Bleach2 is registered with the EPA as a disinfectant, with efficacy assured by following label instructions.

"Your mom’s hospital was correct to ensure its effectiveness (critical in a hospital environment) by mixing a fresh solution daily, but I can also understand that you don’t want to make it up every day if you don’t have to.

"To simplify things for you, you could make a smaller amount (2 tablespoons diluted in 4 cups water) that you use up over several days for general countertop cleaning. However, when you are cleaning up after things that are highly likely to spread bacteria (like raw meat), you would want to use a freshly mixed solution...."

Source: https://www.clorox.com/how-to/laund...e-guides/shelf-life-of-bleachwater-solutions/

 

[dixiedragon]

Nature’s Garden has bottles. I ordered 100 2 oz and 50 1 oz yesterday and received them today.

I don't think there is a mass bottle shortage, but it is harder to source 1 million identical bottles.

Hand sanitizer calculator
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o98YBTkaBXcXIfPJc1nfChLYrihjoG_j/edit#gid=2116942897

 

[Susie]

Hand sanitizer calculator
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o98YBTkaBXcXIfPJc1nfChLYrihjoG_j/edit#gid=2116942897

Thank you, dixiedragon!

 

[Susie]

The problem I’m having with bleach is that all my work virus updates say that bleach needs to be refreshed/remade every day as it breaks down. I’m looking for a product that I can make up for my husband and know it will still be “active” when he needs it.

currently my husband has set up a “clean room” in the basement. He walks in after work (Walmart), puts his clothes in the washer, wipes off phone/keys/everything else, grabs a towel (because we have a roommate and walking around), then immediately goes to shower before starting the washer with all clothes from the day. My water bill is going to be ridiculous but I get clean clothes daily and all the little nagging “I need to wash that” piles are getting done.

Bleach mixtures do need to be replaced daily.

When I used to work home health with some very infectious patients, I had a "clean room" set up like that in our laundry room off the garage. I had a robe hanging on the door that then got washed and dried with everything else. And my (then, now ex, germaphobe) husband would keep the kids and the dog locked up in a separate room until I was all cleaned up.

 

[ainextian]

Hello everyone here. Am new here and I would love to be guided on how to make hand sanitizers that are in gel format(thick) not the waterly ones(the ones for spraying). So what would be the recommended formulation for a 100ml bottle . thanks a lot.
Aine.

 

[Br93lx]

Through a previously posted link, I found this video which had an attached formula sheet. It used xanthan gum and I tried it.



I had wasted all my aloe gel in a previous attempt that seized up the Aloe Vera into a hard ball. So this was perfect because I had glycerin. I still had one batch seize. One was perfect and another was just a tad to runny. I had trouble measuring the right amount xanthan gum.

Mix the xanthan gum thoroughly with the glycerin then add the water and mix to a gel state. Then Slowly add ethanol in parts reaching a gel state before adding more.

 

[lsg]

I picked up some Everclear, (95% alcohol by volume), today. At the display they offered the following recipe. Will one of you chemistry people tell me if it will be effective?

2/3 cup Everclear
1/3 cup glycerin.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, that should be fine, @lsg

 

[cmzaha]

I don't think there is a mass bottle shortage, but it is harder to source 1 million identical bottles.

2 oz bottles are getting a bit hard to find by the case and so are tops. My attorney together with a group is putting together thousands of bottles of sanitizer to give away in his community and having trouble acquiring bottles. They have already filled and given away 3ooo. I am donating 700 2 oz bottles and tops I have and went on sks looking for more. They are out of many of their 2 oz bottles and many of the dispensing tops.

 

[lsg]

Yes, that should be fine, @lsg

Thanks DeeAnna.

 

[paragon]

I picked up some Everclear, (95% alcohol by volume), today. At the display they offered the following recipe. Will one of you chemistry people tell me if it will be effective?

2/3 cup Everclear
1/3 cup glycerin.

That would be like rubbing glycerin on your hands: a sticky mess. Try instead a teaspoon of glycerin, 3/4 cup everclear, and 1/4 cup water. Add another teaspoon of glycerin if it doesn't feel moisturizing enough.

(I don't know why anyone would suggest this recipe. Glycerin basically feels like cheap personal lubricant. I'm glad you asked before using up the ingredients.)

 

[lsg]

Thanks paragon.

 

[yatyat]

That would be like rubbing glycerin on your hands: a sticky mess. Try instead a teaspoon of glycerin, 3/4 cup everclear, and 1/4 cup water. Add another teaspoon of glycerin if it doesn't feel moisturizing enough.

(I don't know why anyone would suggest this recipe. Glycerin basically feels like cheap personal lubricant. I'm glad you asked before using up the ingredients.)

My thought exactly and so I tried to use honeyquat instead and it totally did not work. Do you know of another humectant that will play well with alcohol? I did make a small batch with glycerin until I found a better option and it felt less drying than the commercial one that i was using but quite sticky and I used far less than 1/3 ...

 

[atiz]

My thought exactly and so I tried to use honeyquat instead and it totally did not work. Do you know of another humectant that will play well with alcohol? I did make a small batch with glycerin until I found a better option and it felt less drying than the commercial one that i was using but quite sticky and I used far less than 1/3 ...

Just curious: what did the honeyquat do / not do? I have some around and may try it but if it's a total disaster then would rather not...

 

[lsg]

After re-reading the posts by DeeAnna and Irishlass about how to figure the amounts, I came up with this recipe. It will be runny, but some of you have stated that some thickeners don't tend to work with alcohol
For 32 ounces of hand santizer:

23.8 oz of Everclear (98% alcohol by volume)
.04 oz 200x aloe powder
.42 oz glycerin
7.96 oz of distilled water.

Dissolve the aloe powder in water and add gylcerin, then add the Everclear.

You don't have to add the aloe powder; but I had some in stock.

Chemistry people is this an effective recipe. If you don't think so, be sure and say so. It won't hurt my feelings.