Nothing beats good hand washing, but you can easily make a great DIY hand-sanitizer.
You'll need very high proof vodka or rum (we used Spirytus grain alcohol from Poland that is 192 proof — 96% alcohol!) and aloe (available in food stores and Latino specialty shops).
The important thing is to keep the alcohol proportion right -- to be effective, your homemade hand-sanitizer must be 60% alcohol or higher. And watch out around open flames; grain alcohol is flammable.
1. Cut open and remove aloe pulp then mash or blend until smooth.
2. Measure 1/8 cup aloe pulp and place in a mixing bowl, food processor, or blender. Warning! This can get messy!
3. Add 1/2 cup grain alcohol to the blended pulp and stir well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then strain into another container.
From here we suggest testing small batches with drops of various essential oils to see what you like. We chose peppermint ultimately. The ratio does not seem to be too important. Add just enough to dull the booze odor.
4. Carefully pour into a small bottle and cap tightly.
