(NaturalHealth365) If you’ve ventured out to the local stores lately, you’ve probably already found that hand sanitizer is in short supply – due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  That is … if you can find any at all!

Of course, that’s not entirely “bad” news.  Many hand sanitizers contain chemicals linked to human health issues.  Today, we’ll focus on a better way to stay safe, especially during these challenging times.

A recent Microsoft News article reported that the Singapore Prime Minister’s wife had been closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and sharing information and findings via social media. Recently, Ms. Ho shared that using mild, natural disinfectants like lime, lemon, or vinegar also proves effective at killing viruses and bacteria.

Natural disinfectants that tend to kill viruses

Ms. Ho went on to note that coronaviruses tend to be fragile. They are quite easy to destroy because the only defense they have is their outer membrane. As soon as that outer membrane is disrupted, the virus can no longer infect.

Of course, studies back up the use of ingredients like vinegar, lemon, and lime as disinfects, too. One study discovered that vinegar was as effective as many of the top commercial disinfectants when it came to killing bacteria.

Another proved that vinegar did a great job at eliminating the flu virus, too. A more recent study found that vinegar even killed off tuberculosis, which is extremely hard to kill. Scientists noted that if vinegar can kill tuberculosis, it will likely kill off most other types of bacteria, too.

2-ingredient hand sanitizer recipe that’s effective against COVID-19

Even if you didn’t score any hand sanitizer at the store, you can make your own at home with just two ingredients. And it doesn’t include any harsh chemicals that could be a hazard to your health.

All you’ll need is some apple cider vinegar (although you can use any type of vinegar except sweet vinegars), aloe vera gel, and a clean spray bottle. If you don’t love the smell, simply add a few drops of essential oils like peppermint, lemon, or lavender.

Of course, as you use it more, you’ll get used to the smell of vinegar over time.

To make this hand sanitizer recipe, combine your aloe and vinegar in a 2:1 ratio, which means two parts of aloe and one part of vinegar. Mix thoroughly until combined. Store it in a spray bottle.

Along with using it as a hand sanitizer, it can be used to sanitize surfaces, baby toys, and nearly anything else around your home as well to kill bacteria and viruses.

Sources for this article include:

CNN.com
MSN.com
AciScience.org
PLOS.org
ASM.org