It is with a heavy heart that I begin preparing for the start of the school year. The kids and I have really had an incredible summer together and it breaks my heart to think about all the busyness and time away from each other. As with most teachers, the last few weeks of August are not really a vacation, because I spend a lot of time getting my classroom and lesson plans in order, buying necessary classroom materials, and getting my curriculum for the year outlined.

Unlike most teachers, I also spend this time preparing a few natural, DIY classroom essentials that will take me through the school year. Schools are notorious breeding grounds for bacteria and germs, but I also live in fear of store-bought sanitizers that are terrible for your skin, your body, and that studies suggest are responsible for the mutation of bacteria, thus resulting in antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Yikes!

That being said, I’m always sure to make a few bottles of organic, natural hand sanitizer for the classroom, my purse, and for the kids’ backpacks. With a few purchases made in advance, it honestly takes less than a minute to make a batch of sanitizer that will last many months, if not the entire school year.

DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe

Here’s what you need:

Squeeze bottles, spray bottles, or foaming bottles you have recycled or purchased on Amazon or eBay. (I always keep a bin in the basement full of plastic bottles and jars that come in handy for projects or creations.)
Thieves oil (or a “germ fighter” essential oil blend that consists of clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary)
Witch hazel
Aloe vera jelly
Water
Vitamin E oil (optional, but does moisturize and provide additional preservative properties)

Here’s what to do:

The amount of sanitizer you make depends on how many containers you plan on filling. Make more or less, depending on how much you need. The recipe that follows makes one large foaming bottle.

Three tablespoons aloe vera jelly
⅓ cup witch hazel
¼ cup of water
12 drops Thieves oil
3 drops Vitamin E oil

Shake all the ingredients to blend and you are all set! It really is that easy to make your own sanitizer and it smells like a heavenly blend of apple and pumpkin pie, another reminder that fall is right around the corner.