Here I just paid $3.50 for this brand new bottle of hand antibacterial spray from Walmart and I was almost out of it…and headed to Germkingdom.

There was no way I was going to pay $10 for a Disney hand sanitizer bottle even though it has a cute holder. Because it’s still Ten Bucks! I remember looking at them the last time I was there and I just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much for one item.

I’m sure you can understand my nervousness…there are germs EVERYWHERE at Disney!!

Instead of having a panic attack, I grabbed my phone and did a little searching. I had to find a hand antibacterial spray recipe ASAP.

While I didn’t have any supplies right then to make it, I could at least breathe a little better knowing I could refill my bottle when I got home for hopefully less than the $3.50 I had originally paid.

I was on a hunt to find an inexpensive recipe because I wasn’t in the mood the buy another $3.50 bottle of hand antibacterial spray.

I also learned that Vinegar is also a really good option for disinfecting things. (I just prefer the smell of essential oils, plus, I already had them on hand).

The recipe I use today had to be super quick. I’m not the girl for any long and drawn out, multi-step processes. Who has time for those?!!

And do you know what? I’m still fighting those germs off today with this great recipe that my family loves!

So let’s get busy and make our own DIY hand sanitizer spray so we can hopefully not get sick this year!

Plus, with this essential oil hand sanitizer spray recipe, we can refill all our spray bottles cheaply and easily.

And, this hand sanitizing spray really works and smells great! Gotta love that!

Gather your supplies and let’s fight germs together!

Ingredients & Supplies:

Here’s the simple ingredients you need to make your own Antibacterial Spray:

First start with the base for the DIY hand sanitizer spray:

• 2 Tablespoons Distilled or Reverse Osmosis Water
• 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons Aloe Vera 100% Gel (You may need to eyeball it and just squeeze from the tube if your tube does not have a pump. If it does, 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons is 15-20 pumps.)
• Small glass or plastic spray bottle

Now let’s add the disinfecting part of the hand sanitizing spray. You can use one or both of these ingredients:

• 10 Drops Essential Oil (price varies) (I use the Young Living brand because of their purity promise)AND/OR to make it even cheaper you can use
• Vinegar Or Malt Vinegar (Vinegar is naturally antibacterial and antifungal so it is a safe & natural way to clean away germs; Malt Vinegar has a higher acidic rate which has proven to kill more germs)
• OR: 70% Rubbing Alchohol or 60% proof Vodka (must be at least 60%)

After adding the essentials oils, add the vinegar or alcohol to top off the bottle.

If you are thinking that Vinegar is not a viable disinfectant – it is! Here are 3 studies that prove it!

• Effectiveness of Common Household Cleaning Agents in Reducing the Viability of Human Influenza A/H1N1
• Hard Surface Cleaning Performance of Six Alternative Household Cleaners lJnder Laboratory Conditions
• Acetic Acid, the Active Component of Vinegar, Is an Effective Tuberculocidal Disinfectant

The essential oils make the concoction smell wonderful (and not like vinegar).

I have boys, so I like to make a woodsy smelling antibacterial spray by adding 10 drops of one or a combination of these oils into my essential oil hand sanitizer spray recipe (only Thieves is pictured above):

• Thieves
• Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
• Blue Cypress
• Cedarwood
• Cypress
• Eucalyptus Blue
• Juniper
• Pine

You do not have to use a glass spray bottle for this antibacterial spray. A plastic bottle is fine (or even refill an old anti-bac bottle you got with your free coupons from Bath & Body Works) because there are enough other ingredients in the bottle so the essential oils will not eat through the plastic.

If you are using a smaller sprayer bottle, such as an old essential oil bottle, you may need to cut this recipe by half.

Tip: You can easily reuse your essential oil bottles and just buy just the sprayer for the bottle.

You could really use any essential oil scents that you prefer, lavender & lemon make a great duo or peppermint for a fresh, clean scent.

Directions:

To your glass DIY hand sanitizer spray bottle, add about 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons of the aloe vera gel (you may need to eyeball it if your tube does not have a pump). If your aloe has a pump, add 15-20 pumps.

Then add the 10 drops of the Thieves oil (or your own combination).

Then fill the rest of the bottle with distilled or reverse osmosis water leaving room for the sprayer. Distilled water will prevent the solution from getting slimy.

Shake the hand sanitizing spray bottle to combine the ingredients.

Mom Tips:

Tip #1: Stink Be Gone. I keep these hand antibacterial spray bottles everywhere! In every purse, bag, and car. Especially in my Disney bag. After a long hot day at Disney, we all stink. And there is no way I am climbing in a hot van with 5 other hot and stinky people. I pull this hand antibacterial spray bottle out and everyone gets some squirts. We all smell so much better! I tell you, it’s night and day! It’s one of those easy mom wins!

Tip #2: Shopping Cart Sanitizer. Need I say more? As soon as I head into the store I’ve got my little hand antibacterial spray bottle ready to squirt that shopping cart down. Those wipes that they keep by the door are always out, and usually, you have to touch the cart to go find the wipes. Crazy, right? But I’m always covered with my DIY hand sanitizer spray.

Tip #4: Germ Laden Handles. Waiting in a line for a ride, the bathroom or something else? I am known to secretly spray my hand antibacterial spray anywhere I can. And voila, germs be gone!

Tip #5: Just In Case. While I wash my hands frequently and use my shirt or paper towels to open bathroom doors when I leave, I always have some hand antibacterial spray bottles just in case. You never know where those germs are lurking and you’ll need your hand sanitizing spray just in case.

How Much Does It Cost?

Here’s how much this antibacterial spray really costs:

• Small glass or plastic spray bottle = FREE if you are reusing an old spray bottle
  (or add 71¢ per bottle if you just bought the spray nozzle for an old essential oil bottle)
• 2 Tablespoons Distilled or Reverse Osmosis Water = FREE
• 15-20 pumps Aloe Vera Gel (about 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons) = 25¢
• 10 drops Thieves Essential Oil (price varies) (I use the Young Living brand because of their purity promise)
• OR 1/2 Tablespoon Vinegar = 1¢

Total Cost = 26¢ per bottle 

Note: This does not cover the cost of the essentials oils.

Also, add 85¢ to your total if you do not have distilled water or reverse osmosis water on hand. That is about how much it costs to purchase a gallon of distilled water from my local grocery store.

Can you believe how little this costs?! I was amazed at just how cheap I can fill up my own hand antibacterial spray bottles!

Before you head to another store, theme park or public restroom, it’s time to make your very own hand antibacterial spray.

You can easily make this for way less than the store-bought bottles of hand antibacterial spray.

So I hope you see how easy this recipe is get busy and make our own DIY hand sanitizer spray so you can hopefully will not get sick this year!

Plus, with this essential oil hand sanitizer spray recipe, you can refill all of your spray bottles cheaply and easily.

And, this hand sanitizing spray really works and smells great! We love that!

And it’s so easy. It probably took me less than 2 minutes to make. Now that’s the kind of easy I love!

YOUR TURN: What else do you secretly use your hand antibacterial spray on? Let me know in the comments below!

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