How to Make an effective sanitiser at home?

The Magikbee team is focused on sharing constructive ideas for families at home while we practice social distancing. Today, following our first blog post “5 Indoor Activities to Do With the Kids”, we are going to look at cleaning products and how you can make an effective sanitiser at home. We spoke with microbiologist Dr Joana Moscoso graduated from Imperial College London about the correct use of cleaning products. 

Demand for cleaning products such as hand sanitisers and disinfectants is extraordinarily high at the moment. Supermarkets and pharmacies are churning through stocks of these products. Some outlets have imposed restrictions on the number individuals can buy at once.

You might be wondering if there is anything you have at home with which you can create a disinfectant suitable for protecting your family from the coronavirus. Well, there is, and you need just one common household item: bleach.

Here’s what Dr Moscoso says about hygiene and the virus:

“Everyday we have new information about the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, which is causing the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, we know that the virus is easily transmitted from person-to-person and that it can persist in the environment from a few hours to a few days. For these reasons, and to stay safe and prevent the aggravation of the existing health crisis, it’s important to:

1. Practice social distancing and clean regularly our hands and all types of surfaces.
2. For our hands, the best solution to kill the virus while protecting our skin is to wash them thoroughly and regularly with soap for at least 20 seconds.
3. For our clothes, a normal washing cycles should be used as far as detergent is added.

Soap and detergent are effective because the coronavirus is involved in a fat layer that is destroyed when it comes in contact with soap or detergent. For fast disinfection of surfaces, research studies and the WHO recommend the following magic lotions: either 0.1% solution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach), 70-80% solution of alcohol (if available and for smaller areas), or a 0.5% solution of hydrogen peroxide.”

How to safely use bleach

Bleach, a common household item, can be very effective in removing the virus from surfaces, as noted by Dr Moscoso. But there are a few things to consider when you homemake a sanitiser from that product:

1. Precautions with bleach

Bleach is a great disinfectant but in high concentrations can irritate your eyes, nose, mouth and skin. It also decomposes in light and heat and reacts with other chemicals, so must be used with caution.

2. Materials

To create an effective sanitiser, you will need:

• Water
• Bleach (usually found at a concentration of 5%)
• An empty bottle
• Spray bottle

     3. How to make the sanitiser

For an effective, less irritant solution that can be used to clean delicate surfaces:

• Mix one part bleach with 49 parts cold water. That translates to 4 teaspoons of bleach per litre of cold water.

For a stronger solution for dirty surfaces:

• Mix one part bleach with 9 parts cold water.

Precautions:

⚠️ Do not use either solution on your hands or skin.

⚠️ Wash your hands after you have mixed the solution.

⚠️ Keep the solution in a safe place away from the reach of children.

⚠️ Keep the solution away from heat and light.

⚠️ Place a warning symbol (like this bullet point) on the bottle.

Products with this symbol can burn your skin. Be careful using them.

4. Tips for use

Volia! You’ve made a great sanitiser in just five minutes! Here are three ways you can use the solutions:

1. Distribute the sanitiser through the spray bottles
2. Take it with you when you go shopping
3. Cleaning the house (doors, keys, floors, surfaces)
4. Cleaning your car (doors, steering wheel)

You can use it to clean by wetting a cloth in the solution and wiping surfaces with that cloth. 

Dr Moscoso adds that “we have adopted these recipes and practices of disinfection at home since we started the social distancing. We haven’t looked for those ready-to-use disinfectant products available on the market, making them available for those who need them most, like people in hospitals and health centres, or workers are unable to work from home given the nature of their jobs and are at an increased risk of exposure. I hope these tips help Magikbee’s followers, keeping them safe and preventing the dissemination of the disease.”

We hope these tips help parents and families transform this difficult time into something positive. If you have any suggestions for things to do at home, we would love for you to let us know. Email João at Joao@magikbee.com or get in touch via social media and we can share your ideas with other families. Let’s all contribute to improving the day-to-day lives of many families!