Can't Find Hand Sanitizer At The Stores? Here's How To Make Your Own During COVID-19 Crisis

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Pasta, toilet paper, bottled water; for many stores, they're out of stock due to the COVID-19 crisis. If your patience is on short supply too, the Morning Insiders found the proper way to make an important cleaning product at home.

CBS 2's Lauren Victory demonstrates how to make your own hand sanitizer.

Store shelves sitting empty became the new normal when the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11. Stores like Target tried to salvage supply by limiting purchases, but demand is too high, especially for hand sanitizer, at CVS, Mariano's, Jewel-Osco and more.

The manufacturer of Purell pumped up production, but some people have resorted to making their own on-the-go disinfectant.

The two main ingredients you'll need to make hand sanitizer at home are aloe vera and isopropyl alcohol. Finding the necessary supplies was a journey itself.

CBS 2 had to stomach a very long line at Costco line, because the nearest grocery store was sold out of isopropyl alcohol.

We found it, although piles of discarded boxes didn't have us confident. Neither did a statement from Ball State University public health professor Jagdish Khubchandani.

"Most people are not qualified or experienced in making a hand sanitizer," he said.

He stressed the old-fashioned way of keeping clean.

"There's nothing better than soap and water," he said.

But if you can't cart soap around, at least make sure you use it before doing your kitchen experiment.

"Im hoping people don't end up contaminating the whole preparation," Khubchandani said. "Make sure that it's in a clean container."

The recipe is one part aloe to three parts of 95% to 99% isopropyl alcohol. You can add essential oil if you'd like to soften your sanitizer. Then put five minutes on the clock and get mixing. Make sure to use a bottle that can be sealed.

Khubchandani said whatever you make should last until you finish it, given how often people are sanitizing their hands these days.

You might've seen posts of people using liquor instead of isopropyl alcohol. The experts say that's okay only if that booze is potent; 95% alcohol by volume or more.