5 DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipes

I always carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse and another in my dog walking bag–so I always keep some on hand. Of course, my little stockpile has now become depleted so I’ve been looking online for some easy DIY hand sanitizer recipes that I can use not only to kill germs if I’m not able to instantly wash my hands but also to clean my hands after picking up dog poop.

We’re starting with the World Health Organization formula–which is formulated to have the required alcohol content to kill germs. We all know that rubbing alcohol can be very difficult to find now so I’ve included some additional formulas that substitute everything from grain alcohol to witch hazel.

Remember: nothing substitutes for a good hand washing–but sometimes, like after you’ve filled a bag of dog poop–you really want to clean your hands NOW. These options can each be a good addition to your dog walking bag for just those instances.

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W.H.O. Hand Sanitizer Formula

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a recipe for homemade hand sanitizer (with instructions on making small and large batches.) This recipe requires either Ethanol (96%) or Isopropyl Alcohol (99.6%) along with Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) and Glycerol (98%). Each of these ingredients is tough to find these days but, if you have them on hand, this will produce a high-quality hand sanitizer.

151 Proof Grain Alcohol and Glycerin

Can’t find rubbing alcohol? (No surprise there!) This video shows you how to use 151 proof grain alcohol (think Everclear) along with glycerin to create germ-killing hand sanitizer. You can even add your own favorite essential oil.

Tea Tree Oil, Vodka and Aloe Vera Gel

DIY Natural has an easy recipe for hand sanitizer using high-proof vodka, if you can’t find rubbing alcohol. This recipe adds tea tree oil and your favorite essential oil scent to a base of aloe vera gel.

Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil, Aloe Vera and Essential Oils

This natural hand cleanser uses witch hazel, a natural antibacterial agent, along with tea tree oil, lemon essential oil and apricot kernel oil in a base of aloe vera.

Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil and Aloe

This version, much like the recipe above, is pared down, if you don’t have apricot kernel oil.