Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer

Does anyone else remember that game that we used to play as kids. You know, the one where you would say something like, “. . .don’t touch the floor, the floor is lava. . .” and then you would carefully jump from the sofa to the chair? Well, apparently the joke is on us. Because now we’re adults, there’s a pandemic, and it kind of feels like everything is lava.

After a carefully planned outing, we come home and both immediately set down any “outside” things onto the designated area in our front hall. We then thoroughly wash our hands for at least one round of the “ABC” song. Then we take off all of our “contaminated” clothing and change into “clean” clothes. Then we wash our hands again. Then we clean and sanitize our phones, keys, Ryan’s wallet and the like. And then yep, we wash our hands again. And then we sanitize everything coming into our home from the outside world. And then. . .well, you get the idea. Basically everything is lava, and sadly none of this is a game.

We have always been pretty clean and fairly germ-aware people, but lately everything has just been kicked into overdrive. “Did you touch your face? Don’t touch your face.” Or, “. . .did I just hear someone sneeze? Do you think it’s allergies or something else?” The list of precautionary measures and our concern for just about everything goes on and on.

But long before our lives felt like everything was lava, we had already switched to homemade clean living products. And honestly, we are so grateful to have done so. Yes, it may seem a little strange to some people, but we love it. We make our own hand soap, natural all-purpose cleaner, a natural glass cleaner, a natural cleaner for our granite countertops, mouthwash, face toner, and yes, hand sanitizer. An alcohol-free, kid-safe, and almost organic hand sanitizer.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer:

1/4 Cup RealAloe Gelly or Aloe Vera Gel of Your Choosing

22 Drops of KidSafe by Plant Therapy Organic Germ Destroyer

Combine your ingredients into a clean and reusable bottle (we just repurposed our old store-bought hand sanitizer bottles), and gently shake to combine.

Tips and Tidbits:

• Just use two tiny drops! You will find that a little really goes a long way.
• Although we personally feel safe using this solution as our primary hand sanitizing product, in no way does this replace the power of thoroughly washing your hands with soap and warm water. And we both feel strongly that a good ol’ thorough hand wash should always be your first line of defense against germs.
• The aloe vera does dry within seconds just like a traditional hand sanitizer would, however this quite contrarily provides a wonderfully moisturizing feeling to the hands.
• We love the RealAloe Gelly because it is made with organic aloe vera, it is 100% vegetarian, gluten-free, fragrance-free, and it is not tested on animals.
• The blend of hemlock, marjoram, lavender, rosalina and lemon that is in the Germ Destroyer gives off the loveliest herbal scent. But if you are scent sensitive (like me), you will be grateful that the scent completely dissipates within moments, and does not leave your hands smelling scented in the least. (Like many store-bought products.)

–

Please consult your personal physician for advice on your health practices before switching to this solution. This hand sanitizer is something that works for us, and is simply an idea. Currently the CDC is recommending that we use a hand sanitizer that contains 60% Isopropyl Alcohol (or stronger) in it. If you are interested in a recipe that also follows the CDC guidelines, take a look at Wellness Mama – she is a great resource for clean living. For more information and guidelines for good health practices, please go to the CDC’s website.