hand sanitizer

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Originally Posted by matrass
Has anybody had any luck finding hand sanitizer ?

Been trying to find some for my wife as she is a nurse and does need it from time to time .

All of the local stores have been out for a while now and trying to find it online has not worked .

Checked on articles that you can make your own but geeting the right percentage of alcohol in the end and getting the 99% isopropyl alcohol is not easy .

She does say washing hands is the best but there are times when she can't.

The hospital is low on supplies and is very stingy about using what they have , wanted her to reuse a mask for a week but we found a few local that she has as spares.

Not looking to make this political or about price gouging that is going on.

Thanks for any help or sugestions you may have .


Not 70%, but carry a bottle of cheap vodka?

Also, would the hospital like to have less employees? if they cannot offer regular PPE, how do they expect employees to come back to work, endangering themselfs and families?
 
Originally Posted by pandus13
Originally Posted by matrass
Has anybody had any luck finding hand sanitizer ?

Been trying to find some for my wife as she is a nurse and does need it from time to time .

All of the local stores have been out for a while now and trying to find it online has not worked .

Checked on articles that you can make your own but geeting the right percentage of alcohol in the end and getting the 99% isopropyl alcohol is not easy .

She does say washing hands is the best but there are times when she can't.

The hospital is low on supplies and is very stingy about using what they have , wanted her to reuse a mask for a week but we found a few local that she has as spares.

Not looking to make this political or about price gouging that is going on.

Thanks for any help or sugestions you may have .


Not 70%, but carry a bottle of cheap vodka?

Also, would the hospital like to have less employees? if they cannot offer regular PPE, how do they expect employees to come back to work, endangering themselfs and families?


And smell like a drunk? Everyone seems to keep pushing that. It's just not good for your hands. Better off to just carry some soap and a bottle of water.
 
Smaller distillers and some of the ethanol plants in Nebraska and Iowa are producing hand sanitizers and distributing to medical facilities through Warner trucking, a Nebraska institution.
 
If you google around I think there is none to be found. I gave up looking. I know a few guys who got lucky on a few trips to Walmart and got 2 bottles of Equate but every time I went they were out.

As for Isopropyl alcohol at the drug store, in the past, they used to have bottles and bottles of it. After several visits to many local drug stores...Walgreens...CVS...and of course Walmart none to be found. Did a google search and there seems to be a nationwide shortage of it and probably wont be resolved in a month or months.

There are many types of alcohol. The isopropyl alcohol to avoid is the industrial or technical alcohol. I have read that contains heavy metals and not for use on humans. That type of isopropyl alcohol is widely available, but should be avoided. The only isopropyl alcohol I would have confidence to use safely is the one sold in drug stores but that has no availability right now.

I did order a gallon jug unscented hand sanitizer from Bulk Apothecary. I ordered it on March 8th and on the website they said how backed up they are...etc etc. I waited 3 weeks to get it and had sent a few emails. When I was ready to give up and call my credit card company is when it came. I looked on that website and it seems like they dont offer the gel type anymore.

There are distillers who are making it, but I dont believe any of the distillers are approved FDA facilities. I cant find any online who are willing to sell at a reasonable price. I saw a few places online on newly minted websites that seemed to have outrageous prices for 8 ounce bottles.

My buddy gave me a 32 once bag of hand sanitizer designed for a dispenser. I cut it open and drained it into other bottles.

Since I have my gallon jug and additional 32 ounces of it Im done looking for now. Lets hope things improve in a few months or so on that hand sanitizer issue.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Navi
There are distillers who are making it, but I dont believe any of the distillers are approved FDA facilities. I cant find any online who are willing to sell at a reasonable price.


The FDA allowed distilleries to make the 80% WHO formula back in March. That's why you're starting to see lots of it. If you go to a distillery's facebook page, that's where most of them are advertising it, you're not finding it too often on their main home page as most of them just started selling it in the last week or two.

https://www.fda.gov/media/136118/download
 
Yeah,made a qt last week. 195 Proof White Death (Grain Alcohol) whisked into 20% Aloe Vera Gel and a few drops of lemon oil.
 
I just checked the Bulk Apothecary website and they do have the gallon jug ready to go. I would just get that and then buy some small bottles off of Ebay...your choice. I got these 8 ounce squeeze bottles. Drained it into there

It does say 2 week wait but probably looking at 2-4 week wait. I noticed they juiced the formula up to 70%. My jug said 62% alcohol.

https://www.bulkapothecary.com/prod...bases/unscented-hand-sanitizer-gel-base/

I really dont know how effective it is or how much alcohol is really in it. It smells and seems like regular hand sanitizer. It seems legit and undoubtedly there is alcohol in there.

You definitely going to need hand sanitizer as this situation wont go away any time soon. After washing with soap and water I would apply the hand sanitizer right after.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Navi
I just checked the Bulk Apothecary website and they do have the gallon jug ready to go. I would just get that and then buy some small bottles off of Ebay...your choice. I got these 8 ounce squeeze bottles. Drained it into there

It does say 2 week wait but probably looking at 2-4 week wait. I noticed they juiced the formula up to 70%. My jug said 62% alcohol.

https://www.bulkapothecary.com/prod...bases/unscented-hand-sanitizer-gel-base/

I really dont know how effective it is or how much alcohol is really in it. It smells and seems like regular hand sanitizer. It seems legit and undoubtedly there is alcohol in there.

You definitely going to need hand sanitizer as this situation wont go away any time soon. After washing with soap and water I would apply the hand sanitizer right after.


You're definitely doing it wrong which is probably why you may have too much. In the last month I've only gone through a little over an ounce and I think my supply consists of about 5 ounces.

After washing with soap and water, you're all done. Just wash for at least 20 seconds. Soap and water is better than sanitizer anyway. I only use it during those times when I go out, usually after leaving a store.

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html
 
I havent used that much hand sanitizer. When putting it on the hand you just need a little squeeze, but its good knowing I have that big gallon jug of it in the closet when there is none in the stores. It depends on what you do for a living and how much you out and about, but you really just need a small squeeze. It doesnt run out quickly for sure.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by pandus13
Originally Posted by matrass
Has anybody had any luck finding hand sanitizer ?

Been trying to find some for my wife as she is a nurse and does need it from time to time .

All of the local stores have been out for a while now and trying to find it online has not worked .

Checked on articles that you can make your own but geeting the right percentage of alcohol in the end and getting the 99% isopropyl alcohol is not easy .

She does say washing hands is the best but there are times when she can't.

The hospital is low on supplies and is very stingy about using what they have , wanted her to reuse a mask for a week but we found a few local that she has as spares.

Not looking to make this political or about price gouging that is going on.

Thanks for any help or sugestions you may have .


Not 70%, but carry a bottle of cheap vodka?

Also, would the hospital like to have less employees? if they cannot offer regular PPE, how do they expect employees to come back to work, endangering themselfs and families?


And smell like a drunk? Everyone seems to keep pushing that. It's just not good for your hands. Better off to just carry some soap and a bottle of water.


She is in medical/hospital. I would guess they have soap and water, but don't know if everything she does is close to a sink/washing station.

While the 40% vodka is not perfect as strength and smell , may a be a bit better than none because of buyer+supply issue.
The OP could also get her any lotion/aloe vera gel for her hands.
But I think she qualifies for Working Hands at this point.

The local Walmart in GA had sanitizer. No TP yet.
So maybe some supply routes are getting fixed.
 
If you want isopropyl alcohol and can't find it here's some that hides in plain sight. Don't buy any other brand or any other type as they contain additives or methanol. ONLY this one. Widely available at many places.
https://www.splashwash.com/products/antifreeze/super-px-99-isopropyl
If you check the SDS you will see that it is 100% isopropyl alcohol. You will need to put it into a spray bottle or add to some lotion.
 
I read the summary information and the data sheet. Here are some quotes for that alcohol:

"Super PX-99 Isopropyl Alcohol from SPLASH® is a fuel system conditioner and antifreeze made for all seasons."

"OSHA/HCS status
This material is considered hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)."

"Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection."

"IF ON SKIN (or hair): Flush contaminated skin with plenty of water. Remove contaminated clothing and
shoes. Get medical attention if symptoms occur. Wash clothing before reuse. Clean shoes thoroughly before
reuse. "

The next question is there anything in the SDS or the webpage which states this is meant for applications on the skin such as first aid use or hand sanitizer? No. It seems to indicate this is an antifreeze and an engine additive.

My conclusion is this is an industrial/technical type of isopropyl alcohol. While its 99% isopropyl alcohol the question is whats in the other 1%? Heavy metals?

If this company could market this for first aid or hand sanitizer they would, but they cant. As a rule of thumb is if its not alcohol thats sold in the drug store then you probably cant put that on your skin. If they dont market it as something intended for your skin its probably not intended for your skin.
 
Last edited:
Here is a good website that describes technical or industrial alcohol:

https://wholesaleharvestsupply.com/...g-or-medicinal-grade-vs-technical-grade/

"The percentage figure indicates the portion of the named chemical (ie: isopropyl alcohol) found in the unit. Keep in mind that when analyzing costs for isopropyl alchohol 99%, you're not paying for the 99% so much as you are paying for what's NOT in the .01%-1.0%. The remaining portion of the solution may contain varying impurities such as heavy metals, etc. It is imperative that everyone in the custody supply chain know and understand the different grades of chemical solvents and their uses."

"Many isopropyl alcohol brands are now being sold into the hydroponics market that are Technical Grade. Buyer beware: these products are often mis-labeled and/or mis-marketed as qualifying for uses that they do not qualify for. Technical Grade Isopropanol may contain organic impurities that make it unsuitable for Food, Drug or Analytical use. Technical grade isopropyl alcohol is a ‘lower' grade that does not need to meet purity standards set by anyone. Technical Grade isopropyl alcohol is suitable for general industrial use: cleaning non-food grade work surfaces and equipment, for use as a solvent for inks, tape head cleaning, electronics, aircraft maintenance, etc. Technical Grade is not pure enough to be offered for food, drug, or medicinal use of any kind. Technical Grade IPA may contain impurities including: acetone, aldehydes, ketones, heavy metals."

So if you use "Splash" as a hand sanitizer and something happens to your skin then its on you but not on them. They are marketing it properly as an engine additive and an anti-freeze. They are NOT marketing it for any kind of use on or in the human body.
 
The SDS indicates 100% isopropyl alcohol. The walgreens stuff is 60-90%, the rest is water. You need to dilute this 100% down to nearer 60% for hand sanitizer. It is PURE 100% isopropyl alcohol.
 
I made hand sanitzer at work a few weeks for the hospital associated with my university ago using the WHO alcohol/glycerin/peroxide combination.

Alcohol actually wasn't an issue for us, as I have about 30 gallons of 200 proof USP grade ethanol on hand along with 20L or so of ACS reagent grade(>99.5%) IPA. I actually needed to order glycerin, and also didn't have any 3% H2O2 on hand(I only had 50%). I opted to use ethanol for cost reasons(it's about $10/gallon vs. $50 for 4L IPA) and also because I had more on hand. More importantly, I analyzed it to make sure it was at least as close as I could get to the target ~70% alcohol content(too high and it's not as effective as a sanitizer). I ended up checking by GC since I was set up to check easily and quickly, and found results close enough to the common density methods to figure out that I was wasting time analyzing it that way
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by Navi
You definitely going to need hand sanitizer as this situation wont go away any time soon. After washing with soap and water I would apply the hand sanitizer right after.


You use hand sanitizer when you can't wash your hand with soap and water. Washing is better, way better, than using hand sanitizer in terms of kill rate and for your skin. You don't need to use sanitizer after washing, you can put lotion on instead if you want to keep them moisturized.
 
I think a lot more hand sanitizer is coming online again.


Here are two websites I know will send you hand sanitizer:

Art Naturals- https://artnaturals.com/hand-sanitizer-packs/
This website has its own creative formulation with Aloe, Jojoba and Vitamin E. 62% Alcohol formula $49.99 per gallon

Bulk Apothecary- https://www.bulkapothecary.com/prod...bases/unscented-hand-sanitizer-gel-base/
This website has a more basic version and doesnt include other ingredients like Art Naturals version. 70% Alcohol formula $29.99 per gallon.

I would go with the Art Naturals version that has Vitamin E and Jojoba. Ive been experimenting with different soaps and creams lately. Its easy to dry your skin out with these things. The more creative version Im guessing will be easier on your skin. Ive read the 70% formula is probably the most ideal for germ and virus killing. So in terms of pure sanitizing power I would go with Bulk Apothecary, however, to go easier on your hands Art Naturals

The Art Naturals website has smaller versions available. 1 gallon will be lasting. Art Naturals say they will ship in 48 hours.

In any event, I do think in the next few weeks we will see hand sanitizer back in the stores again. Purell is true to its word. It takes about half as much Purell...just one pump...to cover your hands whereas other sanitizers take 2-3.
 
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