A global pandemic can really bring out the worst in people. In recent weeks, we’ve seen how an activity as normal as shopping for groceries has become an aggressive bout for survival. Hordes of shoppers with frenzied looks, elbowing and clawing at each other through the aisles, looking to bag in whatever’s left on the grocery shelves to prepare themselves for a 3-week lockdown. Within minutes, rubbing alcohol, face masks, tissue paper, canned goods and instant noodles were cleared off by people walking around with heaps of grocery goods in their carts.

Image from straitstimes.com

Fortunately for us, Filipinos are a resourceful bunch. And while we’re currently stuck in a situation where we aren’t able to acquire rubbing alcohol and other hand sanitizing agents for ourselves, there are a few other ways for us to bridge this gap.

For a hand sanitizer to effectively eliminate germs, it has to have around 60% to 95% alcohol content, anything lower than 60% won’t do you much good. Products listed as ethyl or isopropyl alcohol are usually the go-to solutions to do the job. But with rubbing alcohol virtually phased out of the market due to its high demand, you can try this rather unorthodox cleaning agent as a potent disinfectant.

Image from Inquirer.net

Lambanog.

Stocking up on liquor to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic sounds like a dumb plan, unless it’s Lambanog you’re stocking up with. This local coconut wine contains up to 80% alcohol, making it an effective sanitizer. Add in some crushed ginger and a few minty herbs, you’ve got yourself a massage mix. But be careful, and make sure it’s DFA approved

Hypochlorous acid.

Also known as HOCl, is a disinfectant with the same cleaning properties as bleach albeit safer and much more pleasant to the skin. It bears a pH of 6 and is able to eliminate bacteria on most surfaces even when it is less concentrated. Some sanitizing products that are based on HOCl include Curativa Bay, Evatech and Medizyme.

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Vinegar.

While it isn’t advertised as something to fight the Coronavirus with, vinegar has been proven to eradicate germs and certain viruses due to its highly acidic nature. Just grab a bottle of white vinegar and dilute it with water to have yourself a potent sanitizing agent.

While cleaning your hands drastically increases your chances of fending off the virus, disinfecting your surroundings can help protect yourself and everybody living with you as well. The Coronavirus can survive on most surfaces for hours on end leaving a lot of people vulnerable to it without them knowing, so remember to disinfect your home, co-working space, or your place of business with these simple guidelines.

-        Wipe down tables, armchairs, doorknobs and other surfaces people touch frequently with soapy water before you start disinfecting.

-        After applying your cleaning solution, let it rest on the surface for a while to make sure you’ve successfully eliminated any bacterial threat in your household.