I recently received a customer’s query about cleansing products. I thought I would pass on the brief response since the information would be relevant to… pretty much everyone currently. So here it is.
In relation to your inquiry about hand sanitizers and the current difficulty acquiring them during the Covid-19 Pandemic…Yes, I can make hand sanitizers. Though currently the prices have soared for both the finished product and ingredients, as many have seen an opening in the market.
Unfortunately, since the ingredient prices have risen, I would have to sell the product I make at a price, I just cannot accept. I realize that the high prices many are selling at is due to the ingredients becoming so expensive. And while I understand supply and demand, I do not feel that it is appropriate for the price of life saving ingredients to suddenly jump like this.
There are several sellers out there selling finished products at reasonable prices. Many retail stores are (though most physical store locations are often out of stock due to the high demand), and Amazon is currently working to remove price gougers of these products.
I still make and sell soap, which is actually your best defense against viruses etc.
Viable alternative options:
If you are just looking to sanitize your hands while in the day to day operations of your job where you have limited access to water these are my suggestions:
- Ethyl or Isopropyl Alcohol
You can use a 70% ethyl alcohol or 70% isopropyl alcohol. These are a widely commercially available %. There are higher percentages available that would also be fine.
These two alcohols are both acceptable and are what is referred to when the CDC says alcohol solutions should be a minimum of 60% for hand sanitizing or 70% for disinfecting surfaces. https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
Above is the reference for the CDC definition of alcohol followed by a link to their guidelines for covid-19 protection.
The reality is that you can put either of these alcohols into a small spray or other type travel bottle to carry with you as a disinfectant equitable to a hand sanitizer. They are liquid, so a spray bottle, may be the most effective package.
Please note, if you are buying ethyl alcohol (also called ethanol) make sure it is denatured. If the bottle says “rubbing alcohol” or it is commercially available in a store for cleaning purposes, you can use this. If it is drinking alcohol like Vodka, you cannot carry it with you in vehicles as a hand sanitizer, for instance in a cockpit or a car.
Perhaps more importantly for drinking alcohol, it must be 140 proof to be the minimum of 70% alcohol by volume. Most have too low of a proof to be useful for Covid-19 related sanitation requirements.
Also of note, both of these items can and often are used for cleaning electronics, but some more pliable electronic components can crack and be damaged by isopropyl alcohol.
- Hand Sanitizer Base Bulk
The link below is for a wholesale company that I find very good. They are currently only selling their hand sanitizer base (just an unscented hand sanitizer that they make) at retail prices in 1-gallon jugs. They make a gel style and a liquid style.
This company, in an effort to avoid contributing to price gouging, is simply offering their product in a quantity that would be useful to many businesses. Their product meets CDC guidelines and I am sure if your company were interested in ordering from them to provide adequate sanitation options for employees, they would be happy to work with them.
https://www.bulkapothecary.com/search.php?search_query=sanitizer§ion=product
If you chose to buy by the gallon from this company or any other. The solution can be repackaged into smaller containers for use on the go.
The main difference between the sanitizer and the rubbing alcohol options will be that the rubbing alcohol will smell more of alcohol and be more drying. You may need to use more moisturizer and/or drink more to keep your skin nourished. On the other hand, there are some moisturizers already built into most of the pre-made sanitizer solutions.
With any of these alcohol-based solutions (even hand sanitizer) if you are using it to sanitize a keyboard or other electronic instrument for example, it has the potential to wipe away any words that are on the item. You could wipe away the letters on a keyboard or important words on an instrument panel, so exercise caution. Or perhaps there can be a cover placed on these items that is sanitized instead.
Hope this helps,
Jacquelyn Uznanski
All links are sources that I have found to be credible sources. I currently do not get affiliate benefits from anyone clicking links I put on my site.