Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has found it’s way to Minnesota. In the St. Cloud area it seems that every store has sold out of hand sanitizer. If you are one of the many people who are concerned about this don’t worry – it’s easy to make your own.

Hand sanitizer consists of just two ingredients, alcohol and aloe vera gel. There are two types of alcohol. The one you need for hand sanitizer is isopropyl, not ethanol. The CDC recommends looking for one with a label that reads 70% or above. For the aloe vera gel, we substituted aloe vera after-sun gel and it worked just fine. The tools you need are a whisk, or a fork, spoon, and two bowls.

Start out by pouring your aloe vera into one of the bowls. It’s sticky. Get as much as you can. When this is done, spoon out half a cup, or 4 oz, of it and place into the second bowl. To the second bowl measure out one cup of isopropyl alcohol. Whisk the mixture together. Then, using a funnel, pour the mixture back into your aloe bottle, or if you desire, you can also distribute into several small clean containers. You’re done!

Use your hand sanitizer before touching the door handle to enter your home. Keep one in your vehicle to clean your hands when eating on the run or after shopping. Drop one into your childs backpack. Carry one on your purse.

Of course nothing beats good old hand-washing. Wash those hands like they showed you in kindergarten – recite your ABC’s and don’t stop until your done. Use soap. Washing your hands without it just gets the germs wet! And use lots of it. Lather your hands up and wash them like you’ve got to put contact lenses into your eyes after chopping up a bag of jalepenos!

Soap up and sanitize, but don’t fear – this too shall pass.