# home made germ-x questions



## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

hey, this is my first time in here but i need some help.
our dd ' 9 y/o tomorrow' wants to make some germ-x type of thing she can make and take to school as a project. any ideas or recipes would be a life saver for me and dw, we are out of ideas!
thanks in advance


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## Kee Wan (Sep 20, 2005)

If you took equal parts Aloe Vera and ethanol (try vodka, it's not sticky) or Isopropyl alcohol, and mixed them, you'd get something that would work. YOu can get 90% isopropyl alcohol from many drug stores. 

You could also try it with hand lotions.


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

thats a good thought,and could be doo'able, thanks!
any more ideas, please keep them coming,


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

OK, I just re-read my thank you post and wonder,,,can I use anything that will not burn little hands? 
Alcohol would be my first idea also but we have to buy some stuff for the kids that does not include it,,OOWWWIEE it burns! 
What else will kill the germs without the burn?


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

I mean the stuff that we buy does not have alcohol in it, I don't know what it is called or what it has in it. I am thinking down the alcohol free side of life. Good luck I know!
but many thanks for any ideas.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

Columbia said:


> OK, I just re-read my thank you post and wonder,,,can I use anything that will not burn little hands?
> Alcohol would be my first idea also but we have to buy some stuff for the kids that does not include it,,OOWWWIEE it burns!
> What else will kill the germs without the burn?


Vinegar.


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## Mel in N.C. (May 11, 2002)

I know this is too late to help but what I use in my kitchen as germ killer as opposed to Clorox is grapefruit seed extract. It is used for this purpose in some cosmetics. I mix it with water and put it in a spray bottle. About 1 tablespoon to 1 quart of water. If you do a search on the internet, you should be able to find some info on this non-toxic germ killer.


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

Kee Wan said:


> If you took equal parts Aloe Vera and ethanol [....]


My understanding, from someone who appears to know quite a bit about biology, and works with various fungi and such at home, is that you want 70% alcohol in order to kill the various germs and spores. He actually uses Everclear (190 proof grain alcohol) and dilutes it down with water to be 140 proof (70%) and uses that to clean up his home lab and his hands. He doesn't like all the other stuff that are put in the commercial 'germ-x' type products. the downside is you're gonna be paying alcohol tax on that 'germ-x' substitute.

If you're using Aloe so the alcohol doesn't dry your hands so much, you still want to keep to 70% alcohol.

Also, somewhere I read that spraying vinegar and 3% Hydrogen Peroxide kills 99% of bacteria. In that study, they were spraying lettuce and other produce, and also kitchen cutting boards and counter tops. I presume it could be used for hand-washing too, altho I don't know if the germs they were looking at for the kitchen (eg, salmonella) are the same ones that you would be concerned about on your hands (eg, influenza)

--sgl


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

how about 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water in a spray bottle mist both hands then towle dry


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

this is a free style extra fun kinda thing that DD and her teacher thought up, 
I am liking the vinegar recipe. wouldn't that hurt small hands with minor cuts or wind burn?
I may go into the kitchen and pour some on my hands to check it out, lots of wind dried hands here.


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

OK 
back from the kitchen and I have to say that the vinegar on the windburn felt cool and nice, on the open cut there was a little sting. My hands are harder than a 9 yr'olds so I wonder. but this is my fav. so far. Mixing it with aloe lotion would be a good idea, make it kinda like a salve. This has to be cheap because it is going to be manufactured and sold by a 3'rd grader to other children as a class project,
Any other ideas out there?


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