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Coronavirus crisis: How to make your own hand sanitiser using three simple ingredients

It's pretty hard to find it in the shops now…

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We all know that nothing beats washing your hands with soap for a full 20 seconds when it comes to the battle against deadly coronavirus.

Many Brits, however, have taken to carrying hand sanitiser with them on trains, at work and as they go about their weekly shop.

But mass panic spreading across the nation as the UK moved towards the delay phase has meant that stockpiling has left many supermarket shelves empty.

And nothing ran out faster than hand sanitiser.

Many stores are rationing the sale of essential items, including hand sanitiser (Credit: Cover Images)

So what can you do in those moments when you’re nowhere near a sink, need to wash your hands and all the shops have run out of hand sanitiser?

Well, you can make your own with this simple three-ingredient recipe.

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All you will need is a bottle of booze that has an alcohol content above 60%, or rubbing alcohol from the chemist.

It works – just make sure it has enough alcohol in it.

Next, you’ll need some aloe vera gel – it’s easy to buy online and you may have it left over from your holidays as it’s great for sunburn, too.

Then all you need is your favourite essential oil to add a scent.

Eucalyptus, tea tree and peppermint are proving to be particular favourites online thanks to their antibacterial properties.

Hand washing
Nothing beats soap and water when it comes to tackling coronavirus (Credit: Pixabay)

Now you have all of your ingredients – and a plastic bottle to decant them in to – it’s time to get to work.

Grab your 60% alcohol and fill your bottle so that it is two thirds full.

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Next, top up the rest of the bottle – leaving a tiny bit of space at the top for the oil.

Add 10-15 drops to mask the scent of the alcohol, shake well and all that stress of hunting supermarkets and chemists for hand sanitiser will be over.

It’s been reported by The Independent that if made correctly – using alcohol with a content of 60% and above – homemade hand sanitiser can be almost as good as soap and water.

Supermarket shelves have been left ransacked by stockpiling (Credit: Cover Images)

According to Dr Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, DIY sanitiser is “about as effective as using soap and water” when made correctly.

“We know it works – just make sure it has enough alcohol in it,” he said.

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor