HOW TO PREPARE FOR CORONAVIRUS

By Anastasia De Beer

Photo by Tehillah Richards-Levin

With coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19) infiltrating headlines, the one thing we know for certain is keeping hands clean and germ-free is a must (and not just when there’s an epidemic). The CDC recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds multiple times a day, but the reality of life can get in the way (on the go, in a plane, train, or subway, you get the point) and that’s when a hand sanitizer is necessary. While there are several nonalcoholic versions of hand sanitizers on the market, the CDC recommends one that contains at least 60% alcohol for maximum efficacy and all of those are either sold out at local retailers (at least in Washington D.C.) or going for 10-20 times their normal price.

So we turned to one of our favourite DIY-ers,Tehillah Richards-Levin , to get her recipe for a simple homemade hand sanitiser.

2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin (optional)
1 cup aloe vera gel
15 drops tea tree oil
15 drops cinnamon essential oil
Colloidal silver or distilled water for the consistency you like

Add all ingredients to a glass spray bottle and shake well.

*Optional: add orange, lemon, or eucalyptus for fragrance.

More helpful tips to prevent spreading germs:

– Instead of handshaking, many people are elbow tapping or even placing their hand over their heart (a la New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentioned on Twitter) and nodding as an act of acknowledgment.
– For another DIY idea, you can pour rubbing alcohol onto baby wipes as a creative solution for disinfectant wipes (which are also flying off the shelves at grocery stores right now).