# Refilling hand disinfectant from one bottle to another - OK?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refilling-hand-disinfectant-from-one-bottle-to-another-ok/941697>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [May 9, 2021, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refilling-hand-disinfectant-from-one-bottle-to-another-ok/941697 "2021-05-09T10:29:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refilling-hand-disinfectant-from-one-bottle-to-another-ok/941697/21 "2021-05-10T17:16:45Z")

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> [@filmore](#):
>
> I would think adding refilling with the same product would generally be fine. Mixing different products could have issues since their base ingredients may be different and could cause strange interactions. For example, maybe the base gels are fine alone, but when mixed they congeal and become thick and sticky.

That’s a good point. Who knows what ingredients (other than alcohol) are in some hand sanitizers? Many advertise themselves as “skin conditioners,” and have stuff like Vitamin E and aloe vera and who knows what else.

That said, I’ve been mixing different brands of hand sanitizer for a while now, and haven’t run across any issues.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refilling-hand-disinfectant-from-one-bottle-to-another-ok/941697/22 "2021-05-10T18:26:50Z")

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> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> When they get low, I refill them from big bottles that I buy, much cheaper than replacing the pump dispenser.

Our fire department was issues small spray bottles for personal and family use near the start of the pandemic and instructed to refill them with the gallon bottles at the station as needed.

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**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refilling-hand-disinfectant-from-one-bottle-to-another-ok/941697/23 "2021-05-11T02:50:56Z")

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I am stoned. I have been stoned since the early 70’s. I have learned to listen to “advice” and think it over and/or do my own research before acting. In this case, my decision came down to “Yeah, I think its probably OK. I’ll just be careful to not refill the counter bottles in front of _nurse_ again.”

Now that the shelves are filled to the bursting with sanitizers, I always use the same brand to refill my pocket bottles. I’ve seen folks refill their pocket bottles from the store bottles and always wonder how its going to feel on their skin. There’s some nasty feeling stuff out there.

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