Hydro-alcoholic solution

Hydro-alcoholic solution (called SHA)

Protocol to fabric the solution by World Health Organization (WHO)

10 L	1 L	100 mL
Alcohol (ethanol 96°)*	8,333 L	833 mL	83 mL
Hydrogen peroxyde (3 %)	0,417 L	42 mL	4,2 mL
Glycerol 98 %	0,145 L	14 mL	1,4 mL
Clean water (distiled, boiled and frozen)	q.s.p.	q.s.p.	q.s.p.

* One can use isopropanol at 99,8 % (7,515 L for a final solution of 10 L).

To wash your hands properly, apply five movements!

The question asked directly to Prof. D. Pittet (the inventor of the SHA) to know the minimum ethanol concentration: “ It is advisable to use a hydro-alcoholic solution with a minimum concentration of 60% alcohol, ideally 75% to 80% ” Which means that if you only have at your disposal alcohol at 70° (for example camphorated alcohol), then you can make your SHA without adding water : 100mL of 70° alcohol + 5mL of H2O2 and 2mL of glycerol gives a final alcohol concentration of about 66.5°. The WHO formulation says to let it rest for 3 days (but well, after 24 hours, the effect of H2O2 is clearly diminished on the skin, in fact).

Scientific references

Pittet, Didier, et John M Boyce. « Hand hygiene and patient care: pursuing the Semmelweis legacy ». The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Preview Issue, 1, nᵒ Supplement 1 (1 avril 2001): 9‑20.

Kramer, Axel, Peter Rudolph, Gonter Kampf, et Didier Pittet. « Limited efficacy of alcohol-based hand gels ». The Lancet 359, nᵒ 9316 (27 avril 2002): 1489‑90.

Sax, H., B. Allegranzi, I. Uçkay, E. Larson, J. Boyce, et D. Pittet. « ‘My five moments for hand hygiene’: a user-centred design approach to understand, train, monitor and report hand hygiene ». Journal of Hospital Infection 67, nᵒ 1 (1 septembre 2007): 9‑21.

Suchomel, Miranda, Michael Kundi, Didier Pittet, Martina Weinlich, et Manfred L. Rotter. « Testing of the World Health Organization recommended formulations in their application as hygienic hand rubs and proposals for increased efficacy ». American Journal of Infection Control 40, nᵒ 4 (1 mai 2012): 328‑31.