Health experts warn against mixing rum, bleach and fabric softener to make 'hand sanitiser'
Last updated on: 30 March,2020 03:34 pm
Health experts warn against mixing rum, bleach and fabric softener to make 'hand sanitiser'
(AFP) - A video has been have been viewed thousands of times on Facebook alongside a claim it shows how to make a hand sanitiser that is effective in protecting against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The video appears to show someone mixing rum, bleach and fabric softener in a bottle before rubbing the solution on their hands. The claim is false; health experts warn that such homemade hand sanitisers can be harmful to a person s health.
The clip was shared on Facebook on March 23, 2020. It has been viewed more than 16,000 times. Below is a screenshot of the misleading post:
The three-minute 44-second video is captioned: "Tanduay+zonrox+downy=sanitizer / Let s see if COVID-19 doesn t work against this newly discovered sanitizer.."
It appears to show a person mixing Zonrox-brand bleach with Tanduay, a brand of rum produced in the Philippines. A voice speaking in Visayan, a Philippine language, can be heard saying that adding fabric softener to the mixture can help mask the smell. The person is then seen rubbing the mixture onto their hands.
COVID-19 was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. It has since killed more than 30,039 people and infected 638,146 others worldwide, according to data from the World Health Organization on March 30, 2020. The WHO has recommended the use of alcohol-based hand sanitiser to protect against infection.
Similar videos showing people mixing rum and bleach to make a purported hand sanitiser have also been shared on Facebook and YouTube with a similar claim that it can protect against COVID-19 infection.
The claim is false; health experts warn the mixtures shown in the videos are potentially harmful to health and are not effective in protecting against COVID-19 infection.
In response to the misleading videos circulating online, the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP) issued a statement on March 23, 2020 saying the homemade mixture is not an effective hand sanitiser.
It states, in part: “Alcoholic products contain only about 40% alcohol and lack the concentration needed for a hand sanitizer… Such products which are below the required 70% alcohol concentration should NOT BE USED as hand sanitiser.”
The ICP released another statement highlighting the dangers of the solution on its Facebook page on March 24, 2020, alongside a screenshot of one of the misleading videos.
Part of the release reads: "Don t Imitate. Deadly. Mixing bleach and alcohol creates chloroform, a chemical that is dangerous and toxic when inhaled or rubbed on skin."