Subscribe
The Daily Grind Video
CLOSE
The 6th Annual Fillies & Stallions Kentucky Derby party, hosted by Black Rock Thoroughbreds, along with Tito's Vodka, Jack Daniels and Red Bull

Source: Robin Marchant / Getty

The saying “common sense ain’t all that common” becomes more and more prevalent every single day.

Apparently, certain people out there think they found a hack by using Tito’s Vodka to make some homemade hand sanitizer and protect themselves against the coronavirus. Of course, this isn’t actually gonna work, so the people over at Tito’s wants you to stop.

The famed alcohol brand put out a statement this week to correct anyone who may be misinformed after social media users posted about mixing the beverage with aloe vera and essential oils as a defense against the virus. While some of those people did seem to be joking, not everyone was, so Tito’s has to cover their bases.

Why would anyone do this in the first place instead of paying 99 cents for some actual hand sanitizer? As panic about the coronavirus spreads, stores nationwide have been reporting shortages of hand sanitizer as people across the country post pictures in their local stores, showing empty shelves where the product was once stocked.

As for those trying to use Tito’s as a disinfectant, the company says that there’s simply not enough alcohol in their product to do good…outside of getting you a little tipsy. After issuing the statement, a spokesperson for the company explained their response to The Daily Beast.

“Per the CDC, hand sanitizer needs to contain at least 60% alcohol. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is 40% alcohol, and therefore does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC,” the company said. “While it would be good for business for our fans to use massive quantities of Tito’s for hand sanitizer, it would be a shame to waste the good stuff, especially if it doesn’t sanitize (which it doesn’t, per the CDC).”

Any articles that spread the incorrect information about this DIY hack have also been corrected. In the midst of this shortage, probably the only brand of hand sanitizer you know is doing their best to get more product out there.

“We have experienced several demand surges in the past during other outbreaks — and this is on the higher end of the spectrum but not unprecedented,” said a spokeswoman for Purell’s parent company, Gojo. “We have added shifts and have team members working overtime – in accordance with our plans for situations like this.”

Moral of the story: don’t believe every DIY hack you see online.