Highlights
- Scarcity of commercially available hand sanitisers due to the COVID-19 outbreak has led to an online trend of recipes for making them at home
- Limitations and warnings against the DIY practice include lack of validity on efficacy, safety issues and even the actual possibility of finding needed ingredients
- A representative of Pharmacy owner’s in Victoria says properly practising handwashing with soap is the foremost recommendation
As people try to lay their hands on any alcohol-based hand sanitisers that might briefly be available on the store shelves, every day more do-it-yourself formulas appear online.
According to reports citing industry figures, sales of the product rose by 255% just in the month of February, days before the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
And things only escalated within days, with major supermarket chains and retailers placing a limit on purchases per customer.
Does this mean you should make one yourself at home to keep your hands free of coronavirus?
Source: SOPA Images
What are the pitfalls of experimenting with homemade hand sanitiser?
Most recipes found online suggest using two parts of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol and one part aloe vera gel, with essential oil drops added to mask the smell of the alcohol.
But ensuring that the mixture hits the mark on a minimum 60 per cent alcohol concentration that is required for hygienic hand antisepsis can be tricky for a non-professional.
In fact, the WHO has a available online for local production of alcohol-based hand rubs, but these require specific equipment and measurements as well as materials safe to use in specialised settings.
Paul Klissaris, Pharmacy Guild representative of the Victorian branch, points to the risks involved when dealing with ingredients used for these formulations at home.
“When [hand sanitisers] are made, they’re made under sterile environment”, he says adding that “alcohol in pure form is combustible”.
Experimenting with producing an alcohol-based solution at home could also increase the risk of dangerous substance exposure to children, given that even small amounts if swallowed can cause alcohol poisoning.
Experts also warn that if you get the alcohol concentration wrong in the homemade hand sanitiser, it may not be effective in killing the viruses, if it's diluted more than it should be, or you may end up with a rub that's too harsh for the skin and can damage it.
The good old ‘soap and water’ method
“My first piece of advice would be to use soap as a handwash,” Mr Klissaris says.
“The reason that we also recommend a hand sanitiser is when people are out and about and they don’t have running water or soap but soap works just as well if you’re at home.”
Indeed, the is that alcohol-based rubs are good for cleaning hands “if you don't have access to soap and water”.
Coronavirus risk aside, the prefers soap and water regardless, given that hand sanitisers “do not eliminate all types of germs”, “may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy” and “might not remove harmful chemicals, like pesticides and heavy metals, from hands”,
“Washing your hands is good enough,” Mr. Klissaris reiterates provided you do it properly for at least 20 seconds and going through the finger webs, the inside and the outside of your palm.
Source: healthdirect.gov.au.
Is it easy to source alcohol for hand sanitisers?
As Mr Klissaris says compound chemists are able to make up-to-standards hand sanitisers using the required equipment and safety procedures they have in place.
But there currently there is a shortage of basic ingredients and materials required.
The problem is accessing the alcohol, the main ingredient for the solution.
“Alcohol is a restricted substance under the relevant Act in Victoria so for isopropyl alcohol and ethanol you need a licence to be able to sell them," Mr. Klissaris says.
But apart from the shortage of pure alcohol in the market, even for pharmacists, there is another missing piece in the required material, he says is plastic bottles for packaging the product.
“Because you can’t get the alcohol and you don’t have the plastic bottles. Then you might get the alcohol and you see the plastic bottles have run out”.
“Betweeen alcohol and plastic bottles it’s the perfect triangle for frustration.”
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
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