From no-sew curtains to reed diffusers, DIYs can be great tools for interior design. For health purposes? Not so much. As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, the demand for hand sanitizer is emptying shelves. So, some people have taken to creating their own. And while we admire the ingenuity, one popular recipe—featuring aloe vera and vodka—is…less than effective. After a recipe featuring Tito’s vodka made the rounds on social media this week (admittedly, House Beautiful was among several brands to share it), Tito’s is urging customers not to use its vodka to make homemade hand sanitizer.
One person tweeted, “Gonna make some hand sanitizer from @TitosVodka to keep safe from the corona virus.” In response to the tweet and others like it, Tito’s quoted the CDC to explain why people shouldn’t make their own hand sanitizer with its vodka.
The statement in Tito’s tweet says, “Per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ‘washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.’ The tweet goes on to say that since Tito’s Handmade Vodka is 40% alcohol, it doesn’t meet the CDC’s current recommendation. Remember, people, although we refer to it as “alcohol,” the kind we drink is mixed with other things—that is to say, a bottle of your favorite booze is NOT 100% alcohol.
Some people on Twitter are also suggesting that Tito’s should make its own brand of hand sanitizer. Tito’s response? The exact same message they’ve been sharing to the DIYers: Tito’s Vodka should not be used to make hand sanitizer.