Yes! It’s possible to find hand sanitizer. I was able to get three travel size bottles yesterday.
I always have hand sanitizer around. In my pocketbook and in my car for when I’m out and about and can’t wash my hands. Usually I keep an extra bottle at home too. I didn’t run out, but started running a bit low within the past couple of weeks.
My mom also wanted me to get some for her, so I started looking. And looking. And looking. I went to about five stores and couldn’t find any.
When I first heard about coronavirus at the beginning of the year, I figured it would eventually be in the United States, but didn’t know enough to think about what that meant exactly.
It never crossed my mind that this country would run out of something as simple as hand sanitizer. In my lifetime, the supply of most everything has always been there. My generation (the oldest of GenX or the youngest of Boomers) in this country, generally does not have a famine mentality.
There has always been enough of everything to buy. Whether we can afford to buy it is another story. My mom’s generation remembers food rations during World War II. It was hard to even conceive of rations before, but it got a little easier to imagine recently.
Since it had become pointless to keep looking in stores, I looked online. Way too expensive. I figured that there must be another way that I wasn’t thinking about.
Try Your Local Bank
The one extra small bottle of hand sanitizer that I had at home was given to me. I didn’t buy it. It was from a new bank giving out promotional gifts as marketing.
I had been given hand sanitizer as a gift from my own bank too, a while back. I wondered if they had any left. Since I had to go the bank anyway, I decided to ask. They did! I only got one bottle and was told that they were running low. There were two other bank branches not too far away, so I figured I’d go to them as well.
I went to another branch and got two more bottles! I was so appreciative and told the woman that these were as precious as gold! Makes sense that I got them at a bank!
When I asked for the branded hand sanitizers, a customer who was sitting down whipped his head around to look over. I don’t know for sure, but I bet he asked for some before he left.
The third branch told me that they didn’t have any left. But that’s okay. I have enough for me and to give some to my mom.
So think about banks or other businesses that give out branded promotional items. Then ask them. They may just have some to give you too.
