Coronavirus: Tito's Vodka urges customers not to use their product as hand sanitiser

A US-based vodka company is urging its customers not to use the spirit as a hand sanitiser replacement.

Tito's Vodka made the statement after several Twitter users said they were using the vodka to make their own hand sanitiser because popular brands had sold out during COVID-19 coronavirus panic-buying.

But the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says hand sanitisers must have at least 60 percent alcohol to kill germs, so using vodka doesn't meet health standards.

"Per the CDC, hand sanitizer needs to contain at least 60 percent alcohol. Tito's Handmade Vodka is 40 percent alcohol, and therefore does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC," Tito's wrote on Twitter.

A Tito's spokesperson told Business Insider as soon as it saw the incorrect information it wanted to "set the record straight".

"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," the spokesperson said.

Using a product that drops below the 60 percent alcohol threshold lowers its effectiveness "very dramatically".