What does this do to or environment?
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The one thing the pandemic taught us was, “It’s more important to carry a bottle of Hand Sanitizer than your car keys". But at the same time, they have numerous side effects. They can cause skin irritation when used in excess as they contain chemicals like Alcohol, chlorhexidine, chloroxylenol, and triclosan. Some of these chemicals are highly toxic for water-dwelling organisms and are capable of causing harmful long-term effects in an aquatic environment.
What is the Alternative?
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Tea tree oil sanitizer: 10 drops of tea tree essential oil and 1 teaspoon castile soap in 6 ounces water. How it works: Tea tree oil is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory. The castile soap functions as a surfactant to dissolve the oil.
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Plain vinegar The sanitizer: 5% solution of white vinegar. This is the concentration in most bottles from the grocery store How it works: Vinegar is an antibacterial agent that kills 99% of bacteria. It's also nontoxic, nonpolluting, and edible.