Covid-19: How To Make Hand Sanitizer, Face Mask & Disinfectant At Home During Lockdown

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the active cases of coronavirus have gone up t0 492 across India. The novel coronavirus has already claimed nine lives as our country now nears stage three (i.e community spread). With multiple state-wide lockdowns, ban on domestic travel, shutting down of restaurants, temples with highest footfall, the government is taking stern measures to curb the spread of the virus. Amid the coronavirus scares, people are panic-buying and stocking up on essentials and hand sanitizers, disinfectants and face masks. So much so these items have gone completely out of stock. Even if you manage to get your hands on masks, they are being sold at ten times the price. While the govt is taking necessary actions to penalise the looters, the need of the hour lies in being considerate and helping each other in these unprecedented times. So, instead of making multiple rounds to pharmacists to buy hand sanitizers or face masks, why not try making them at home. Here are all the DIY you can try to avoid going out and all the coronavirus precautions you need to know about:

Also read: Five Coronavirus Myths Busted

While it is highly recommended that you wash your hands for a good 30 seconds, you should also keep using hand sanitizers with higher concentration of alcohol to keep your hands clean. Here’s a method shared by Dr. Rishi Desai, the chief medical officer of Osmosis, who claims that this DIY hand sanitizer is capable of killing 99.9 percent of germs after 60 seconds.

Ingredients required to make hand sanitizer at home: ¾ cup isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (99 percent alcohol volume), ¼ cup aloe vera gel and 10 drops of essential oil in whichever fragrance you like or you could even use lemon juice.

Directions: Pour all ingredients in a bowl. Mix and whip the mixture until the solution turns into a gel. You can then pour it into an empty bottle and your homemade sanitizer is ready for use. 

There’s been an imminent shortage of face masks for some time now. But, before I tell you how you can make face mask at home, here are some important details about the coronavirus particle we are seeking protection from. 

It is important to note that surgical face masks, which are made of a specialised paper that is both strong and breathable, are roughly 89 percent effective at preventing transmission of virus that is .02 microns (or micrometers) in size. The coronavirus particle is approximately 0.1 micron in size. Therefore, the Cambridge researchers chose pillowcases and T-shirts as the most suitable material to prepare DIY face masks that offer breathability and a filtration rate of about 70%. Here’s how you can make face masks for coronavirus since most of the medicos are running out of the stock. 

Note: These DIY face masks are not a substitute for N-95 masks but can certainly protect you from someone who is sneezing or has flu. You must, however, not completely rely on these and consult a doctor for best advice. 

What you need: 3 pieces of 6” x 9” fabric/ cloth for face mask; 2 elastic pieces ⅛ “ x 7”, a few pins and a pair of scissors

Directions: Take a look at this video for better understanding:

Considering the need and unavailability of disinfectants in the market, we have got you a guide to make natural homemade disinfectant face sanitizing spray. Here’s how you can make sanitizer spray for home. Have a look!

In these crucial times, cleaning the house with soap isn’t enough. It is extremely important to not just clean, but also disinfect the house and all open surfaces at your house. And, if you’re in a state of lockdown or the market is running out of home disinfectants, here’s how you can make one home sanitizer at home as per the guidelines shared by the Centres For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Ingredients: 4 teaspoons household bleach, 1 quart water

Directions: Pour both into a spray bottle, shake vigorously. 

Now that the solution is ready, just spray it on the surface you want to disinfect. Let it stay for 10 minutes and wipe it with a wet cloth. 

Note: Please consider this as the last resort only in case of zero availability of disinfectants around. Also, do wear gloves when using bleach.

According to the CDC, all you need to do is dry them in sunlight after washing with regular detergent. However, if you come in contact with a sick person or a person who has any kind of flu, please remember to also clean your clothes using a disinfectant wipe after they’ve been washed.

Disinfect your iPhone or Android with a disinfecting wipe or alcohol solution. Make sure you pay attention to the screen, the buttons, and anywhere dust and pocket lint tend to get trapped. Also, ensure that you remove your cover that’s on your phone or tablet, then clean underneath, put it back on, and clean the outside. Following the CDC recommendations for other high-touch surfaces daily disinfecting won’t do any harm to your devices.

Clean your hands with soap and water: The best practice to adopt is to frequently wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds

Use a sanitizer: If you can’t wash your hands with soap and water frequently then please keep a hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol volume handy.

Don’t touch your mouth, nose and eyes: WHO has issued an advisory for everyone to practice self-control and avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact: Do not be around people who are sick or are at a higher risk of getting sick.

Stay home, stay safe (practise social distancing): It is important to stay home if you have developed any kind of symptoms of COVID-19. Please put yourself in quarantine to avoid community spread of the disease

Cover your face while coughing and sneezing: The droplets of a sick person while sneezing carry viruses and other germs. Therefore, sneeze in the crook of your elbow to avoid spreading the virus. Wear a face mask if you're sick so that you don’t infect others. 

Can wearing a face mask protect you from the novel coronavirus?
While wearing a face mask doesn’t entirely save you from catching the virus, it does provide some amount of protection and also keeps others around you alert. The fact is that viruses can get transmitted through the eyes and there are tiny viral particles that can also penetrate masks. However, masks capture droplets and are therefore important as droplets are the main transmission route of coronavirus. Remember, wearing a mask also helps protect others if you have symptoms of COVID-19. 

How effective is the home-made face mask?
According to researchers at Cambridge, a homemade mask should be your last resort as it is three times less effective than the medical-grade ones but it is certainly better than having no protection or layering around the face. 

What is more effective hand sanitizer or soap?
According to the CDC, washing your hands with soap and water is more effective than using a hand sanitizer. The latter should be used only at a time when you don't have access to soap and water.

Should you disinfect packages and mail?
Yes, you must certainly use alcohol wipes to disinfect packages and mail. While virus transmission through couriers is not as likely, COVID-19 can live on cardboard surface for 24 hours and, therefore, you must use a wipe to disinfect and take necessary precautions.

Can I use alcohol as hand sanitizer?
Not really. Using vodka to prepare your hand sanitizer isn’t an option. This formula wouldn’t really suffice because it contains 40-44% alcohol whereas, for a sanitizer to be effective, it needs to have an alcohol potency of 60%. 

While taking all these coronavirus precautions are a must, you should also ensure that you practice social distancing and stay indoors. #StayHomeStaySafe!

Featured Image: Twitter

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