Hand sanitizer has emerged as one of the key ingredients needed to keep residents and visitors safe from the COVID-19 virus as the City of Carmel emerges from its state-mandated stay-at-home orders.
Recently found to be in short supply and hard to get, the Carmel Street Department took the initiative to begin producing its own version of hand sanitizer – at first for City employees in an effort to save taxpayer dollars, but now offered to any locally-owned small business that needs it for their employees and customers.
“We researched the process to make sanitizer and found it was not that difficult to make an effective hand sanitizer at the Street Department,” said Director Dave Huffman. “We just wanted to do our part to help assist others who are out there on the front lines fighting against this pandemic.”
Beginning in April, Street Department employees began mixing the ingredients to make five-gallon batches of sanitizer. They used a drill to mix isopropyl alcohol, aloe and fragrance oil to create a solution. As the first batches appeared to be too runny, Huffman got some assistance from a local restaurant owner who suggested mixing in a little food additive to make it thicker.
Finally, they decided to give their mix a name: Street Juice, along with a clever new logo designed by employees Eric Russell, Talia Ariens and Shelby Hobbs.
Any local business wanting a bottle of Street Juice can contact the Carmel Street Department at (317) 733-2001.