Hand Sanitiser

[enf]

Just got an email from Choice Magazine and thought I'd post their chart of hand sanitisers tested.......

I make my own spray at 80%......using isopropyl alcohol..

[wotnot]

Hmmmm....

[enf]

I use the WHO formula for spray, add a bit of alcohol, and a bit of extra glycerol...it's probably in reality about 78%.

[lsemmens]

I use soap and water...

[wotnot]

When I was working in the food industry doing microbiological sampling and other lab jobs, you'd go through litres of the stuff sterilizing/washing needle septums on pipe/tank sampling points.and everything else besides. We always used 70% ethyl alcohol & water for general purpose labs use. You'd always be making batches of the stuff in any spare moment, to refill all the squirt bottles.

It doesn't really matter which alcohol you use for purposes of disinfecting/steralising, but many folks get it wrong when for example diluting 99% alcohol back to 70% with water -- getting 700ml of near pure alcohol and adding 300ml water won't end up with 1litre of 70% solution. You have to start with 700ml alcohol and add water until the volume is 1litre (it's miscible, not soluble)

[george65]

I have been making my own as well.
Metholated Spirits, a few squirts of aloevera lotion and a couple of tablespoons of water per litre.
I tried getting some Alcohol from a chemical supplier I use but it was basicaly impossible to get at the time.

When I come home from being out or have to handle parcels etc that are delivered, I wash my hands with soap and the sanitiser together. They are both sitting side by side over the bathroom sinks and in the kitchen.
Found the sanitizer with the soap improves it's ability to clean hands particularly of grease VERY effectively.

I am amazed at the profiteering going on with this stuff in a lot of places. Worse I have seen so far was at Total tools, $450 for a 20L drum. That's $22.50 per Litre.
Considering it is in a bulk drum with minimal packaging, that's a rip off well and truly. OTOH, I have seen it quite cheap in other places one might expect to be expensive.
Also seen a lot of differences in different brands. Pretty easy to get a good Idea of the quality just be the feel and often the smell of it.
I spose Lighting it would give a good indication too if it was practical.

[enf]

I have been making my own as well.
Metholated Spirits, a few squirts of aloevera lotion and a couple of tablespoons of water per litre.
I tried getting some Alcohol from a chemical supplier I use but it was basicaly impossible to get at the time.

When I come home from being out or have to handle parcels etc that are delivered, I wash my hands with soap and the sanitiser together. They are both sitting side by side over the bathroom sinks and in the kitchen.
Found the sanitizer with the soap improves it's ability to clean hands particularly of grease VERY effectively.

I am amazed at the profiteering going on with this stuff in a lot of places. Worse I have seen so far was at Total tools, $450 for a 20L drum. That's $22.50 per Litre.
Considering it is in a bulk drum with minimal packaging, that's a rip off well and truly. OTOH, I have seen it quite cheap in other places one might expect to be expensive.
Also seen a lot of differences in different brands. Pretty easy to get a good Idea of the quality just be the feel and often the smell of it.
I spose Lighting it would give a good indication too if it was practical.

Yeah, I already had some iso when it was scarce. It's now available all over the place online.

I bought 5 litres at 100% from Kogan. Can't remember the price, but it was OK. I just make 1/2 a litre at a time.... some hydrogen peroxide, glycerol, aloe vera gives it a green tinge and a few drops of essential oil for fragrance (lemon and lime in my case) and you're done.

[Uncle Fester]

Enf, good mix for surfaces but for the hands not more than 0.5% H202 and not prolonged use(soaking longer than a minute) otherwise you will get bleached fingers as I personally found out.