If you’re struggling to find hand sanitizer at your local drug store, or just want to learn how to make your own, then read on.

You can easily DIY your own hand sanitizer at home by combining just two simple ingredients, which you likely already have.

RELATED: How to Clean with Rubbing Alcohol

Hand sanitizer is a brilliant way to clean your hands and kill germs on the go when there’s no soap and water available.

Hand sanitizer can be made in just a couple of minutes in your kitchen with basic ingredients and then dispensed into a travel bottle to take with you anywhere.

Here is what you will need:

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Ingredients:

The main germ-killing ingredient in hand sanitizer is high strength alcohol (no, that bottle of vodka in the freezer doesn’t count.) Rubbing alcohol, which you might already have in your cleaning or first aid kit, is combined with aloe vera gel to make a simple and cheap sanitizer that will clean hands when there’s no soap and water around.

The best rubbing alcohol to use for homemade sanitizer is 70% or higher isopropyl alcohol. You can use a lower concentration of rubbing alcohol if it’s all you have, but 70% plus is recommended to effectively kill germs and bacteria.

Aloe vera gel is the base that alcohol is combined with to make the sanitizer easy to absorb and is gentle on your hands. We advise choosing organic aloe vera gel but any should be suitable.

In addition to these basic ingredients, you can optionally add a couple of drops of essential oil to enhance the smell and boost the germ-killing properties. Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Lemon oils are all excellent choices for fighting off bacteria.

The recipe given here makes one cup of homemade sanitizer but you can easily make more by doubling the quantities.

You’ll also need a funnel, measuring cups, a bowl or container, something to stir the mixture, and a bottle or dispenser large enough for the quantity of hand sanitizer you’re making.

Method:

Use a funnel and measuring cups to add two-thirds of a cup of isopropyl alcohol with one-third of a cup of aloe vera gel to a suitable container. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add a few drops of essential oil if using. When mixed, use the funnel to put the mixture into a dispenser or bottle.

This mixture produces one cup of homemade hand sanitizer. If you want to make it a larger amount, the quantities can be increased proportionately. Just remember that the mixture needs to be made of at least two-thirds alcohol in order to be effective at cleaning.

You will need to ensure you use good quality isopropyl alcohol because, as we mentioned earlier, that bottle of leftover vodka definitely doesn’t have a high enough percentage of alcohol to clean and kill germs.

You might find that this mixture is slightly thinner than commercial hand sanitizers you can buy, so be careful when dispensing the finished sanitizer.

To use:

To use the finished homemade sanitizer, pour some onto the palm of one hand and rub all over both hands to cover. Continue to rub your hands together until both are dry, this should take at least 20-30 seconds.

Where soap and water are available, they’re always a better option to clean your hands than sanitizer, but it’s a great idea to make sure you always have a bottle of sanitizer on standby in your purse for emergencies.

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Has this post inspired you to make your own hand sanitizer? Let us know in the comments!

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