Herbal Hand Sanitizer?

[thunderpumpkin]

It makes sense that I want to wash my hands before and after handling, feeding, and otherwise dealing with baby chicks. I can wash my hands in the house, but the chicks are in the detached garage and it would be nice to not have to walk back and forth just to wash hands. There's no water source near the garage, either.

I've heard some suggestions of using hand sanitizer, but I don't want to use the chemical-y stuff. Does anyone know of an herbal hand sanitizer that would really work? I found a recipe (for general use) using aloe vera gel, rubbing alcohol, and essential oils. Any concerns over the chicks being exposed to specific essential oils and/or herbs? Any recommended herbs? Thanks!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Is your goal to clean your hands or disinfect them? You could always clean them with wipes.

 

[thunderpumpkin]

Both, really. To clean any poops off my hands after handling them, but also to avoid spreading my, my cat's, my older chickens' etc. germs to them and their germs back to us while their immune systems are still developing. Is this even an issue?

Should have mentioned before: chicks are 4 days old and growing.

 

[aart]

Soap and scrubbing vigorously under running water really is the best,
especially if you actually have poop on them.

No 'sanitizer' (even the chemical ones) is really going to kill the 99% of germs that they advertise.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I am a soap and water advocate. Wow your hands, either with wipes out keep some soapy water or there to on them and then dry them, and then actually wash your hands as soon as you get back to the house.

My coop and outdoor brooder are behind our detached garage and there's no running water out there. I just wash when I get back to the house.

One reason I like an outdoor brooder is that they get exposed to germs right away. Keep them warm (but not too warm) and dry with adequate nutrition and water, and let them build up that immune system.

 

[Zoomie]

DH works in the ER at the hospital... he says, use alcohol. He says they use wipes with alcohol in the hospital.

I just wash when I get back in the house. For the dairy goats, I use dairy wipes which have chlorhexadine on them. That stuff really does the job. Hard to believe but despite all this washing and the chlorhexadine, my skin is not falling off.

These things are known to work, so I stick with them.