Back-to-school season brings new routines, fresh school supplies, and plenty of time spent in classrooms, on playgrounds, and around shared surfaces. While regular handwashing with soap and water is always the preferred way to clean hands, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be a convenient option when a sink isn't nearby.[1] This DIY back-to-school hand sanitizer spray offers a portable way to incorporate Healthy Hero essential oil blend into your school-year routine.

The formula combines 91% isopropyl alcohol with vegetable glycerin, distilled water, and Healthy Hero blend. The result is a simple spray format that can be kept in a backpack, purse, desk drawer or car for those moments when soap and water aren't readily available. Read on for the full recipe. 

Why Make a Back-to-School Hand Sanitizer Spray?

A portable hand sanitizer can be helpful during busy school days, field trips, sports practices, and after-school activities. A spray bottle also provides a convenient application method that can be tucked into a backpack without taking up much space.

This DIY recipe is designed around 91% isopropyl alcohol, which serves as the alcohol component of the formula. The addition of vegetable glycerin gives the formula a more skin-conditioning feel, while distilled water helps bring the recipe to its intended volume.

Healthy Hero essential oil blend adds a fresh, aromatic component to this back-to-school DIY. Although Essential Oils can make a formulation smell pleasant, they should not be relied upon as the sanitizing component. The alcohol concentration is the critical consideration when creating an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

DIY Hand Sanitizer Spray Recipe

Here's what you'll need to make this back-to-school essential at home:

Ingredients

• 3 oz 91% isopropyl alcohol
• 3/4 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
• 24 drops Healthy Hero Essential Oil Blend
• Distilled water, to top off
• 4 oz glass spray bottle

Directions

1. Add the 91% isopropyl alcohol and Healthy Hero Essential Oil Blend to the 4 oz glass spray bottle.
2. Add the vegetable glycerin.
3. Top off the bottle with distilled water.
4. Securely cap the bottle.
5. Shake well to combine.
6. Label the bottle with the ingredients and date prepared.

Note, the final alcohol percentage depends on the precise amount and volume of every ingredient. Therefore, careful measurement is important. 

The Benefits of a Portable Hand Sanitizer

Keeping hand sanitizer readily available can make it easier to clean hands when traditional handwashing isn't convenient. According to the CDC, when soap and water aren't available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be used.[2]

Hand sanitizer should complement, not replace, good handwashing habits. When hands are visibly dirty or greasy, washing with soap and water is the better option. Handwashing is also important after using the restroom, before eating or preparing food, and after certain activities where hands may become contaminated.

For kids heading back to school, parents can consider keeping an appropriately formulated hand sanitizer in a convenient location and teaching children how and when to use it.

How to Use Hand Sanitizer

When an appropriate alcohol-based hand sanitizer is being used, apply enough product to cover the surfaces of the hands. Rub the hands together thoroughly, including the palms, backs of the hands, between the fingers, and around the fingertips. Continue rubbing until the product has completely dried.

Because this DIY recipe is a spray, avoid spraying directly toward the face or eyes. Take care when applying the product and allow it to dry completely.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also flammable. Keep the bottle away from flames, heat, and other ignition sources, and store it securely when not in use. Young children should be supervised when using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and the product should always be kept out of reach when it isn't being used.

A Simple Addition to Your School-Year Routine

Between morning drop-off, classroom activities, lunch, recess, and after-school adventures, there are plenty of times when a sink may not be immediately available. That's what makes a backpack essential you can make at home so convenient.

The DIY Back-To-School Hand Sanitizer Spray is a straightforward project that combines a portable format with the fresh aroma of one of our most popular Essential Oil Kids Blends. Make it part of a broader school-year hygiene routine that includes regular handwashing, especially when hands are visibly dirty.

Just remember that homemade alcohol-based formulations require more than simply combining ingredients. The exact alcohol concentration and ingredient proportions matter. 

With the right precautions and careful formulation, this DIY project can be a practical addition to your back-to-school preparations–and one more useful item to tuck into the backpack before the first school bell rings.

SOURCES:

1. Comparative Efficacy of Hand Disinfection Potential of Hand Sanitizer and Liquid Soap among Dental Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7358852/
2. Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations. https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/hand-sanitizer.html