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When the news about the COVID-19 outbreak first reached America, people were scrambling to find antibacterial gels and disinfectants only to arrive at grocery stores emptying shelves on the hygiene section.

The same situation happened in other countries. In Mexico, street vendors are raking in profits for selling homemade antibacterial gels for thrice or even four times the price on the supermarket, according to an article by Latin Post.

If you've run out of antibacterial gel and other disinfectants to protect yourselves and your home from the fast-spreading coronavirus, a recent article shows how you can make them for as fast as 15 minutes simply and more economically.

READ: COVID-19 Scare: Deadly But Profitable For Mexican Street Vendors

Materials you'll need:

  • Small funnel
  • Eyedropper
  • A spoon
  • One teaspoon
  • A fine-mesh sieve
  • A plastic bottle with a dosing cap

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Ingredients:

  • ½ liter of boiled, distilled or bottled water
  • ½ liter ethyl alcohol 70 degrees GL
  • 10 grams of carbopol 940
  • One teaspoon triethanolamine

Procedure:

1.       Sift the carbopol in a container. Then, in a bottle with a codifying cap, add the ½ liter of boiled distilled or bottled water, then add the sifted carbopol, cover the bottle and shake vigorously until lumps dissolve. Next, pour the ½ liter ethyl alcohol 70 degrees GL, close the cap and shake until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Finally, add the teaspoon of triethanolamine and shake until the right consistency is obtained.

Quick gel recipe

Ingredients:

  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • Aloe vera gel
  • Tea tree oil

Procedure:

To make the product, mix isopropyl alcohol with aloe vera gel in a ratio of 3: 1 and add a few drops of tea tree oil to the mixture to provide the fragrance.

To preserve your homemade antibacterial gel, which has a one-year shelf life, store in a cool and dry place to avoid evaporation and to retain its effectiveness.

READ MORE: Will Warmer Weather Slow Down the Transmission of COVID-19?

How to make 10-liter disinfectant at home

Homemade disinfectants can be made for as cheap as $2. Use it when cleaning surfaces and objects at home to keep you and your family safe from the virus.

Procedure:

1.       Buy laundry bleach with 5 percent chlorine content.

2.       Dilute 1 liter of such bleach with 9 liters of water will get 10 liters of disinfectant.

3.       If the home stock contains alcohol with 70 percent alcohol or ethanol content, then it can also be used for disinfection.

How to make disinfectant spray

Although aloe vera gel does its job well, it makes the hands annoyingly sticky. If you're not a fan of antibacterial gel, here's a recipe that will not make your hands so sticky and will be even more useful.

Ingredients:

  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • Glycerin
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Distilled water
  • Spray bottle

Procedure:

Mix 1 â…” cups of alcohol with two teaspoons of glycerin, which can also be purchased online. Glycerin is an essential ingredient because it keeps your skin moisturized since the alcohol alone can dry the skin. Next, add one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to the mixture and a quarter cup of distilled or boiled and cooled water. Finally, fill the resulting mixture into a spray bottle.

Take note that these homemade antibacterial gel and disinfectant recipes do not apply to oral use in any way.