Will that hand sanitizer kill the Coronavirus? And how to make your own.
Philadelphia-- Hand sanitizers are flying off store shelves as Americans stock up to ward off the spreading Coronavirus. 50% alcohol? Benzalkonium Chloride? Witch Hazel? Even Vodka? What will keep you safe? How to interpret all the labels out there?
Here is the simple answer: the Center for Disease Control recommends only using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. That’s the concentration necessary to kill other Coronavirus’ based on numerous tests.
And, really, they’d prefer, when possible, you use soap and water as much as possible.
Often you’ll come across alcohol-free versions of hand sanitizer, such as ones made by Purell and Germ-X that talk about killing 99.9% of germs. That sounds pretty good, but the labels don’t mention which ones and in this case that really matters.
They active ingredient in these alcohol-free versions is often Benzalkonium Chloride. But as one infectious disease specialist told ProPublica, we don’t really know a lot about benzalkonium’s effect on Coronaviruses.
Those claims are all suspect in general.The FDA recently sent a warning letter to Gojo Industries, the maker of Purell, because a number of their products use claims that would classify them as drugs such as: “Kills more than 99.99% of most common germs that may cause illness in a healthcare setting, including MRSA & VRE”
Such a claim would require the product to be classified as a drug, including approval by the FDA.
Another thing that doesn’t work: Tito’s vodka. That’s right some are recommending you use that to make your own hand sanitizer. But, the spirit maker is recommending people stick to drinking and mixing the vodka, not using it to stay clean on Twitter.
So what should you do if you can’t find hand sanitizer at your local store? First, remember soap and water is better. Wash for at least 20 seconds (sing your favorite song’s refrain as you go).
But if you want something for when you are out and about, there is a solution. The key again is 60% alcohol content so it’s time for a word problem.
If you have 91% isopropyl alcohol, how much of an emollient like aloe vera can you mix in? The answer is two parts alcohol to one-third emollient will keep your homemade sanitizer at least 60% alcohol. Err on the side of more alcohol and a thorough mix. But note, if its too much alcohol your hands may dry out, cracking and bleeding.
You can also follow this recipe from the World Health Organization, just make sure to read those labels very closely and err on the side of more alcohol.
