DIY Hand: Sanitizer Spray

DIY hand sanitizer spray is great to have in your purse, car, or diaper bag to keep germs away. This essential oil hand sanitizer spray is so simple to make, it smells wonderful, and it has only 3 natural ingredients.

It was recently brought to our attention that we didn’t have our DIY hand sanitizer spray on our journal. We had to double (even triple) check because we couldn’t believe it. It turns out she was right!

How did we miss this one? This spray is something we have been making and using for over 7 years. It is one of our most used DIYs and one of the simplest recipes to make! We also have a DIY hand sanitizing gel recipe that we make regularly.

This homemade hand sanitizer spray should be in everyone’s purse, diaper bag, house, and car. Thankfully, it is very cost-effective and takes less than 2 minutes to whip up.

Why You’ll Love It

• Natural ingredients: This recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients, allowing you to live a more natural lifestyle.
• Budget-friendly: Whenever we see the price of all-natural hand sanitizer spray at the health food store, we're so happy we know how to make our own! This DIY recipe will help you skip the expensive store-bought bottles and save money.
• Sustainable: This hand sanitizer spray is made with eco-friendly ingredients, and it’s low-waste! We love making our own products with reusable containers because it’s much more sustainable.
• Perfect for on-the-go: Like we said, we always have a bottle of this hand sanitizer spray on me! It’s easy to toss in a bag and take wherever you go, so you have peace of mind.

Ingredients + Supplies

• Rubbing alcohol or witch hazel: You can use either rubbing alcohol or witch hazel for this recipe. We like to use witch hazel because we make this for our kids, and it’s more gentle on sensitive skin. Rubbing alcohol will make the spray even more effective, though.
• Essential oils: We use the On Guard essential oil blend, but you can make your own with the same essential oils. You’ll need wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils. Read more about each oil below.
• Fractionated coconut oil: This is an optional ingredient that makes the hand sanitizer more nourishing and hydrating to the skin. Rubbing alcohol can be quite drying to the skin, so we like to add fractionated coconut oil to help with that.
• 2-ounce spray bottle: We recommend an amber or blue glass spray bottle. If you have an old bottle of natural hand sanitizer spray, you could also reuse that.

How to Make Hand Sanitizer Spray

Step 1. Add the essential oils to the spray bottle. If you’re using fractionated coconut oil, add that next.

Step 2. Fill the bottle to the top with the witch hazel or rubbing alcohol. Shake well before each use.

How to Use Hand Sanitizer Spray

To use this spray on your hands, simply mist it onto the palms of your hands, then rub them together as it dries. You can use this as often as you need to kill germs and keep your hands feeling fresh.

This hand sanitizer spray can also be used to disinfect surfaces in a pinch. Spray it on whatever surface you wish to sanitize and allow the spray to dry.

Essential Oils for DIY Hand Sanitizer Spray

The essential oils we am using in this spray are great for cleansing and purifying, and they are great essential oils for boosting the immune system. Boosting the immune system naturally while sanitizing your hands regularly can help prevent sickness.

We use On Guard essential oil for this spray, but if you don’t have that blend, you can still make this recipe. On Guard is a blend of wild orange, clove, cinnamon, rosemary, and eucalyptus. So if you don’t have the On Guard blend, you can make your own using the same essential oils.

Wild Orange

Like most citrus essential oils, wild orange has cleansing and antimicrobial properties, making it great for sanitizing and cleaning. Wild orange is a photosensitive oil and should not be used before going into direct sunlight.

Learn more about the benefits of orange essential oil.

Clove

Clove is a powerful antimicrobial essential oil that works great in this sanitizing spray and for cleaning. It is also an essential oil that can boost your immune system, so you get multiple benefits from adding this to your hand sanitizer.

Clove is a hot oil and should not be used on the skin undiluted. If you ever get it on the skin, be sure to apply a carrier oil (read more about the best carrier oils) to soothe any irritation.

Cinnamon

Sharing many similar properties to clove, cinnamon is antimicrobial and has been shown to kill common bacteria that can cause illness.

Learn more about the benefits of cinnamon essential oil.

Rosemary

Rosemary acts as a natural preservative and adds shelf-life to this product. This essential oil also has cleansing and purifying properties that can help to keep germs away.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is one of our favorite-smelling essential oils and can work wonders for respiratory issues. Like all the oils listed above, it also has cleansing and purifying properties and can naturally boost the immune system.

When Should we Use This Hand Sanitizer Spray?

This spray is great to use when you are out running errands, especially during the cooler months. You can also use this to sanitize before eating a meal or when the kids come in from outside. We make our own foaming hand soap, and we like to add these same essential oils into that.

Having this spray in the diaper bag will come in handy, mama! Use it to spray down the diaper changing table, toys that fall on the ground, high chairs, tabletops at the restaurant, or in public restrooms.

We spray our cart handle with this spray and our kids’ hands after we get out of the cart.

How to Store Essential Oil Sprays

This is because essential oils can dissolve certain plastics over time. Be sure to make your DIY hand sanitizer in an essential oil-safe spray bottle. When using essential oils, it is best to use glass spray bottles, metal bottles, or HDPE, also known as plastics number 2.

It is also important to use a dark-colored glass, like amber or blue, to preserve the oils even longer. Store this out of direct sunlight.

Recipe FAQs

Can we use different essential oils?

The essential oils were chosen for a purpose, as they have antimicrobial properties and can boost the immune system, but you can substitute them if you wish. In that case, we recommend using rubbing alcohol rather than witch hazel.

How long does DIY hand sanitizer spray last?

This hand sanitizer spray has a shelf life of at least a year if stored properly. Be sure to keep it in a dark-colored bottle out of direct sunlight.

Related Recipes

• Homemade All Natural Cleaning Wipes
• Homemade Mouth Freshener Spray
• All Natural Bug and Tick Repellent
• Homemade Moisturizing Hand Cream

If you tried this DIY Hand Sanitizer Spray or any other tutorial on our website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!

5 from 33 votes

DIY Hand Sanitizer Spray

By the studio Ascher Prep: 2 minutes minsTotal: 2 minutes mins Yield: 2 ounces SaveSaved Pin Print DIY hand sanitizer spray is something that everyone needs to have on hand. This essential oil hand sanitizer spray is so simple to make with just 3 all-natural ingredients.

Equipment

• 2 oz spray bottle

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounces rubbing alcohol, or witch hazel*
• 15 drops On Guard essential oil**
• 1 tsp fractionated coconut oil, optional

Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Add the on guard and fractionated coconut oil (if using) to the spray bottle.
• Top off with witch hazel and secure the spray nozzle.
• Shake well before each use.
• Spray on your hands and rub them together. Or spray on a surface and wipe clean.
  

Notes

*Rubbing alcohol is more effective at killing germs, but witch hazel is gentler and less drying to sensitive skin. You can choose which you want to use based on your needs. **If you do not have the On Guard blend, you can use 3 drops each of wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. To use: Mist it onto the palms of your hands, then rub them together as it dries. You can use this as often as you need to kill germs and keep your hands feeling fresh. This hand sanitizer spray can also be used to disinfect surfaces in a pinch. Spray it on whatever surface you wish to sanitize and allow the spray to dry. Store in a dark glass bottle out of direct sunlight. Tried this recipe?Mention @our_oily_house or tag #ouroilyhouse! This recipe is for your own viewing pleasure and is not meant for healing purposes. Readers must perform their own research and tests before making any recipe.