To think you could use body spray / mist as a hand sanitiser

[BDGR]

I can't find hand sanitiser in my local shops so have been looking for an alternative product. I know it needs to be over 60% alcohol to be effective against coronavirus so I've looked for products with alcohol denat listed as the first ingredient. Most body mists / body sprays have alcohol denat listed as the first ingredient. The alcohol denat used would be perfumers alcohol, which is 96% proof (i.e. strong enough to sanitise). So as long as the product formulation is at least 60% alcohol denat it should work as a sanitiser. Trouble is I can't find any information online on exactly what percentage of body mist is alcohol denat. Surely if it's the main ingredient it must be over 60% though. Does anyone know? If we can use body spray as hand sanitiser it's going to be a hell of a lot easier to find than hand gel. It's cheap as chips too.

Kitty you've said all that, but still not said what you'd like to see in place, in practical terms.

I just want to clarify that all I am asking is whether anyone (perhaps someone who works in the industry) knows the percentage alcohol content of body spray. Just. Curious.

@WingDefence i would rather drink the vodka than was my hands with it

May kill it I suppose if it's high enough alcohol content (I'm no scientist) but surely it's not going to be very good for your hands??? I heard vodka also isn't recommended for hands as it's not very good for skin, but I suppose once or twice won't do much harm.

Hand gel has moisturising stuff in to help be better for use on skin.

I've made my own in a little spray bottle with surgical spirit, witchhazel and tea tree and lavender essential oils. Cause I cant find one in the shops! And figure it's better than nothing. Not sure of the percentage of alcohol in surgical spirit but it says something like 95 percent methylated spirit.

YABU

HTH.

% proof is not the same as %Alcohol. % alcohol is approximately half the % proof.

@vodkaredbullgirl Sorry, my vodka comment earlier wasn't meant to be serious!

@BDGR how about googling the answer or contacting the body spray company to ask them...?

This probably isn't a good place to have asked the question. Too many people misinterpreting what I've asked. I'm certainly not asking about deodorant or anti-perspirant! I'll find a forum on another, more suitable website. Cheers to the posters who didn't shout me down or patronise.

I have googled the answer. I've been looking it up for 2 days. Jeez, mumsnet is unpleasant.

neither was mine lol

Thanks KittenVsBox, I know that. I didn't actually say it was.

I didn't say I'd spray it on the train - of course I wouldn't! I have asthma too! I wouldn't spray it around near anyone. I have a small bottle of liquid mist that I can spray neatly into my hand. I am just curious about in a theoretical sense. Calm down people and stop making so many assumptions.

So, sorry ... where is it you are going, that you have a commute, yet once you get to work there is no facility for you to wash your hands, and you are so isolated you won't spray this stuff near anyone else?

I am struggling to picture it.

www.cheekywipes.com/blog/home-made-hand-sanitiser-recipes.html

Might be worth a try. My local chemist had the ingredients though my parents living in a different area could not get any surgical spirit. I gave my parents my alcohol hand gel as they are over 60 and my mum is on chemo. I’m trying this when I am out and have no access to wash my hands (which I know is better).

Staying in for one week if you get a cold isn’t going to help anyone or anything.

At least while you're staying in you're coughing over everyone else, so I don't think it's completely pointless. We can't all stay in doors for two weeks plus.

@BDGR sorry, I wasn't trying to be unpleasant. I just think that, as you've already concluded yourself, perhaps Mumsnet (and AIBU especially) isn't exactly the right place to get an exact response to your scientific question?

There is 1 thing, your hands will smell nice lol.

From the OP The alcohol denat used would be perfumers alcohol, which is 96% proof (i.e. strong enough to sanitise)

96% proof is not a high enough % alcohol for antiviral properties. % proof and % alcohol are not the same thing.

The reason why soap is the best to get rid of the virus is because it breaks down the fat membrane surrounding it.

And the action of handwashing, if done properly, going round the nailbeds, between the fingers, and into all the creases, gets all traces of the virus out, and the water washes it all away.

Geez, you’re getting a hard time on here @BDGR. From what I understand, body spray will evaporate too quickly to be effective, that’s why the alcohol needs to be combined with gel.

Do you have any surgical spirit? You can use that to enrich gel that is too low to be effective, you need it to be over 60% but sounds like you could work out the amounts.

You will smell like a tart's knickers!

• 96% proof isn't enough. Proof is double the ethanol by volume, so 96% proof is 48% alcohol content. Then obviously the dilution of the other ingredients.

• Sprays usually wouldn't work as well as gels etc because they evaporate so fast. The gel stabilises the alcohol, notice when you use sanitiser your hands feel cold, it's the evaporation.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH JUST TO WASH YOUR HANDS
You are completely wrong and I'd be really interested to see your source for this. As has been repeatedly mentioned, hand washing with soap and water breaks down the fatty outer layer of the virus. Washing up liquid will do the same.

Washing up liquid will do the same.

And shampoo, I suppose?

Don’t know re the alcohol content but YANBU to look for alternatives for when you’re out and about.

Am I being daft in thinking I’ll just throw a pack of antibacterial wipes in my handbag - the type you wipes floor / sides / bathroom down with? (Kills 99.9% bacteria type)
I mean they’re not going to be the nicest for my hands, possibly a bit drying but for a quick solution in public?
I obvs realise I’m gonna look a total bellend whipping floor wipes out of my handbag