Home-Made Hand Wash & Sanitisers Could Be Useful Diwali Gifts This Year. Here’s How To Make Them

Here are some simple ways to help you make home-made handwash and hand sanitisers which could be useful and unique Diwali gifts this year. Happy Diwali!

The festival of lights is right around the corner and so is the time to exchange gifts with your loved ones and immerse in the festive spirit. However, the pandemic has compelled us to keep indoors and maintain social distancing despite celebrations. As we adapt to the new normal way of life, here is a unique Diwali gift idea that can be very apt for this year. Encouraging hand washing is the best thing you can do to keep your friends and family protected. What could be a better gift than sending them some home-made handwash and hand sanitiser? One drop of home-made handwash can not only kill germs but also saves quite a bit of money these days. Wondering how to make them at home? We are here to help you with simple, easy to make hand wash and sanitisers that make for thoughtful gifts too!

Liquid Hand Wash

INGREDIENTS

Half cup of finely grated bar soap

Four cups of water

PROCEDURE

• Grate a soap bar by using a knife or a food processor.
• Boil water in a saucepan. Once it starts boiling, turn off the flame and add the grated soap flakes.
• Stir it constantly until the soap gets completely dissolved in water. The mixture will be very liquidy at this time.
• Cool the mixture for at least 15 minutes and stir it again till it gets slightly thicker now.
• Set the mixture aside and cool it for 7 to 8 hours.
• Next, stir the mixture to check the consistency. In case it is too liquidy, you may heat up the mixture again and add some more soap flakes. If it’s too thick, add some more water.
• In case you want to obtain a super smooth consistency, run your finished liquid soap through a blender or use an immersion blender before pouring the liquid handwash in the container.
• Get pretty mason jars with spouts and pour the home-made liquid hand wash, wrap them up with gift wrappers and send them off to your loved ones as a Diwali gift.

Essential Oil Liquid Soap

INGREDIENTS

Half cup of water

Half cup of liquid castile soap, a hard soap made out of vegetable oils, mostly olive oil and soda

1 tablespoon almond oil

4 drops of lemon essential oil

7 drops of peppermint essential oil

10 drops of tea tree essential oil

PROCEDURE

• Put water and liquid castile soap in a glass container with a spout. Mix them very well until blended.
• Next, add almond oil, lemon essential oil, peppermint essential oil and tea tree essential oil one by one and blend it.
• Pour the mixture into glass soap dispensers, pack them up and courier it to your friends.

Vitamin E enriched liquid hand soap

INGREDIENTS

Half cup liquid castile soap

Half cup distilled water

1 tablespoon vitamin E oil

1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil or olive oil or jojoba oil

15 drops of tea tree essential oil

5 to 10 drops of lavender essential oil

PROCEDURE

• Add water first in a mason jar and then the liquid castile soap. Water first to prevent bubbles essentially.
• Next, add the vitamin E oil followed by the remaining essential oils and shake the ingredients well. Lavender oil will make it well-scented.
• Pour the mix in a pretty soap dispenser, pack and send off to your relatives.

Homemade hand sanitiser

INGREDIENTS

A combo of three essential oils – lemon and orange oil as they are both natural disinfectants and smell nice; tea tree oil which is famed for killing viruses, bacteria, mold, and fungi and is anti-inflammatory. 5 drops each of these oils will be required.

Alcohol and liquid medium that could be used for making hand sanitiser are witch hazel, vodka and high proof grain alcohol. Grain alcohols are those that are mainly prepared by fermentation of starchy grains like barley. For example, ethyl alcohol or ethanol and the proof is determined by the alcohol concentration in it. 3 tablespoons witch hazel with aloe vera, vodka, or 190 proof grain alcohol (Everclear) can be good enough.

5 drops vitamin E oil.

Distilled (or at least filtered, boiled, and cooled) water.

PROCEDURE

• In a spray bottle, combine the vitamin E oil, witch hazel, vodka or grain alcohol, and essential oils. Place the sprayer on tightly and shake well for 15-20 seconds to combine.
• Open the bottle, and fill it to the top with water. Replace sprayer, and shake again for 15-20 seconds.
• Do not add aloe vera to the mixture as it clumps and does not mix in well.
• Put essential oil-based hand sanitisers in dark coloured bottles as dark glass helps protect the essential oils from UV light which can break them down. Your home-made sanitiser is now ready to be sent off.

You can buy many of these products online at Amazon or from private retailers.

Hope you can follow these simple steps, make your own liquid hand wash and hand sanitisers and give away the best gifts for a safer and happier Diwali this year. Wishing Happy Diwali to all!