Drivers Fight COVID-19 with Homemade Hand Sanitizer
Drivers fight COVID-19 with homemade hand sanitizer. You are out there, on the go, transporting toilet paper to the masses (insert humor). And we appreciate you. But we do want you to be healthy and use safe practices when it comes to keeping healthy and not spreading unnecessary germs to those whose immune system cannot handle them.
How can Mother Trucker Yoga help? Well, we thought we’d share some of our favorite hand sanitizer recipes with you all.
We’ve got a quick and easy recipe for all your germ-killing needs. We will let you decide to use an alcohol-based recipe or one without. But when in doubt wash, wash, wash your hands.
Maybe you haven’t yet considered making your own “on the go” hand sanitizer. And like toilet paper, store-bought hand sanitizer is hard to come by. Here’s the thing, you shouldn’t consider self-care and protecting your immunity only in times of a viral outbreak. But considering our current state of this county, it may be time to DYI a batch of hand sanitizer.
Every state coast to coast is currently being bought out of products like hand sanitizer, wipes, disinfectant, and even things like kleenex and toilet paper (because you need to wipe your bottom more when there is a viral outbreak?).
As truck drivers, it is vital that you consider your immunity a top priority, with or without an outbreak present. Traveling continuously, interacting with people all around the country on a regular basis, make sure you are considering how you can be sharing germs others can’t fight against as well as how your body can fight them to keep you healthy. Just like our simple easy exercises you can do from the cab of your truck. Here are a few simple easy recipes you can do from the cab of your truck.
Please understand that simply rubbing your hands with hand sanitizer is NOT a substitute for good ol’ hand-washing. Alcohol-based disinfectants used in the right amount (99%) and rubbed long enough (to sing the ABCs) are fine when you are on the go. But soap, water, and a full hand washing experience (palms, tops, and fingernails) is the best way to protect yourself against everything that is floating around out there, global pandemic or not.
There are several recipes for DIY hand sanitizer so find one that you like and get to it! A little goes a long way. And I’m going to share with you a few versions I love. And some hacks that make this recipe easy to make on the go (or in your truck).
Hand sanitizer should NOT replace hand washing
This probably sounds like common sense but hand sanitizers should ONLY be used when there’s no water and soap available.
DIY Liquid Alcohol-Based Hand-Sanitizer
Ingredients
1 cup of 99% isopropyl alcohol
1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1 teaspoon of 98% glycerin
¼ cup, 1 tablespoon, and 1 teaspoon of sterile distilled or boiled cold water
DIY Gel Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer
2/3 cup of 99% isopropyl alcohol
1/3 cup aloe vera gel or spray(read the label that it’s pure aloe)
8-20 drops essential oil (NOTE: the Dollar Store does not sell REAL essential oils) try oils like Lavender, Peppermint, Citrus, Cinnamon, Tea Tree or Myrtle.
Just be mindful when using alcohol-based hand sanitizers as ingesting these ingredients can be harmful to you and your loved ones. And alcohol used as a sanitizer regularly has been known to kill the bad bacteria AND the GOOD bacteria as well (which we don’t want to have happened). There is no hand sanitizer in the world that can ever replace using soap and water!
DIY Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer
1 Tablespoon aloe vera spray or gel
1 Tablespoon alcohol-free wich hazel (you can find this at the dollar store, Walmart, CVS)
1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil (if you can’t find it, don’t stress, you can go without)
10-20 drops essential oil blends like Young Living Thieves or Doterra On Guard, or DIY your own blend using: cinnamon, myrtle, tea tree, lavender, rosemary. Use what you can find.
It’s important to choose essential oils that are anti-bacterial like the ones listed above. The use of alcohol continuously on your skin can really dry out your skin. By combining aloe vera gel or spray into your mixtures you can nourish your skin as well. I prefer the spray as it’s not so clumpy and easier to mix.
No matter what recipe you use, you’ll want to mix all your ingredients together and eventually need something to put it into. As a driver accessing a fancy squirt bottle can be difficult. So I want to suggest a water bottle hack that you may find convenient and helpful.
Water Bottle Hand Sanitizer Hack
- Drink water from a bottle (consider using a thicker plastic water bottle).
- Rinse water bottle with soap and water. Clean rim and cap with soap and water.
- Pour all ingredients into a water bottle
- Using a knife, nail, screw (something sharp) poke a small hole in the cap of the water bottle.
- Screw the cap back onto a water bottle and squirt hand sanitizer onto hands as needed.
Finally, just make sure you clearly label your containers. You don’t want anyone drinking your potion! And in the heat of the moment, you don’t want to be drinking it either.
Here at Mother Trucker Yoga we urge all drivers to use common sense. If you are sick, stay home, or get to a doctor ASAP. Wash your hands whenever you can. And remember, when you promote good health and hygiene habits you are protecting yourself and also the lives of others. We may never know what someone else is up against or the status of their health. They may not know either. And no one wants to contribute to another’s health complications.
Now wash your hands and be safe out there.
Read more of what Mother Trucker Yoga has to say on health and well-being on our other blogs:
