Don’t Use Vodka As A DIY Sanitizer: Pristine Vodka Warns You!
Aug 22, 2020
Can you use vodka as a DIY sanitizer? Let’s find out.
Imagine this – a relaxing day at the beach sipping a cocktail while watching the waves crash along the shore. Alcohol and vacations have been synonymous for ages. In particular, vodka has been a staple drink for many. Most of us having enjoyed shots and cocktails of the clear liquid with friends and family during special occasions.
By definition, vodka is a clear, distilled beverage. It contains fermented cereal grains, potatoes, and sweet beets. It first originated in the cold regions of Russia and Scandinavia and Russia. Vodka has been a party favorite for decades.
However, with the global pandemic putting a dampener on the immediate party and travel plans, people have been sitting at home anxiously waiting for the pandemic to get over.
Amid all this chaos, the use of a hand sanitizer has reportedly achieved heights. But the question is – can you use vodka as a DIY sanitizer? We will find out in this article.
COVID-19 And Hand Sanitizer
Among the slew of recommendations and precautions issued by the World Health Organisation and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to curb the spread of the virus, washing hands with soap and using the hand sanitizer have been given top priority.
Public reaction to the coronavirus pandemic has been intense. All the attention is given to hygiene and sanitation. Let’s not forget the panic buying of pantry staples, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. Stories and newspaper articles of stores running out of sanitizers and toilet paper have been rife throughout this pandemic.
Empty shelves at pharmacy stores and groceries seem to have pushed people to seek out alternatives to hand sanitizers. This has made vodka as a DIY sanitizer a rage on the internet. At the peak of the pandemic panic, the Google autosuggest for “can you use vodka….” was “as a hand sanitizer.”
According to Google Trends, the search term reached peak popularity between the 8th and 14th of March 2020. This is also the time when we faced the initial stages of the global lockdown.
Do Sanitizers Contain Alcohol? Is It Really Effective?
Alcohol is the chief ingredient in all the sanitizers available in the market. The most commonly used alcohols in sanitizers are spirit, isopropanol, and n-propanol. All these have a higher concentration of alcohol by volume (ABV). Alcohol works to kill the microbes through the process of denaturation. The sanitizer breaks the protein packet containing the virus or microbe.
It is important to note that hand sanitizers are effective in killing most germs. However, they need to be formulated with the correct concentration of alcohol to be effective. Also, sanitizers are ineffective in killing all microbes. Especially, when you use a sanitizer on an incredibly dirty or greasy surface.
DIY Sanitizers: Are They Really Effective?
We have all watched action-packed scenes in television and movies, where characters use bottles of vodka or whiskey to disinfect a wound during an emergency. This has spread a belief that commercially sold alcohol can be used as an alternative option to store-bought hand sanitizers.
With hand sanitizers disappearing from market shelves in the blink of an eye, many people have turned to the internet for alternative solutions. These solutions come in the form of several online recipes for vodka as a handmade sanitizers. Other ingredients include aloe vera and lemon juice. These DIY recipes are advertised as substitutes to commercial hand sanitizers. Many people claim to have the same disinfecting effect as commercially sold hand sanitizers.
While alcohol is one of the key ingredients in what makes a sanitizer, many reports suggest that regular alcoholic beverages, especially vodka, are not suitable for disinfecting and sanitizing a surface.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a hand sanitizer needs to contain at least a concentration of 60% of alcohol. Most commercially sold vodkas contain 40% of alcohol by volume (ABV), thereby not meeting the requirements of the CDC. Moreover, dilution of vodka with other ingredients further disbalances the solution. Thus, rendering the supposed sanitary effects of the homemade solution useless.
Most sanitizers are prepared by scientists in laboratories through a carefully craft the formula. Making DIY sanitizers without professional knowledge and expertise can lead to skin damage, dryness, and irritations due to the incorrect mixing of the solution. Improper use of ingredients and proportions can also lead to exposure to hazardous chemicals during the mixing process.
Bottom Line: Should You Use Vodka As A DIY? Sanitizer?
It is safe to say that using vodka individually or as an ingredient in a homemade recipe for sanitizer will not do much to protect you from the coronavirus germs. While commercially sold alcohol-based sanitizers can drastically reduce the number of germs on a surface, they do not eliminate all the microbes and germs, especially if the surface area is noticeably dirty.
If you don’t have a hand sanitizer, the best tactic is to use regular soap for at least 20 seconds while washing hands.
In times of uncertainty, we must follow the guidelines issued by credible agencies that are ratified by experts rather than alternative options that are unverified and potentially harmful. You are better off at the sink, singing Happy Birthday while you wash your hands with soap for twenty seconds. It is best to use your vodka for the next special occasion because it isn’t going to cut it as a hand sanitizer.
Save vodka for all the fun that you can have even during this pandemic, at your home. Enjoy Pristine Vodka with your friends and family, which unlike other vodkas, has a pleasant taste even when consumed straight or on the rocks.
What are your views on this? Let us know in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family.
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