DIY: Self-made standing hand disinfectant dispenser for the office

So we have built a beautiful, practical and mobile standing hand disinfection dispenser for the entrance area of our office for less than € 60,-

Now that my German instructions from June 2020 are arousing more and more interest, I am translating them into English so that even more people and companies can benefit from them.

170cm high hygiene stand for hand disinfectant dispensers in euro dispenser format

After the first Corona easing and working in the office is possible again, a hygiene concept was urgently needed.

The hygiene concept was drawn up quickly. The German federal government provides all kinds of information on this. But after we wanted to set up a hand disinfectant dispenser with an information sign in the entrance area, we quickly noticed: Mobile hygiene stations, as the standing hand disinfectant dispensers are also called, are raw, really ugly or just very expensive. We also really wanted a variant in which the typical liquid hand disinfectants could be used — a “euro dispenser format”.

So what’s the alternative?

We build a hand disinfectant dispenser stand ourselves

A hand disinfectant dispenser in the form of a euro dispenser is available from online retailers in a relatively simple version for around € 30. The really professional euro donor from Bode costs around € 70, but is currently difficult to get. The price difference is already noticeable in the details (better pump, adjustable quantity, …). But let’s start here with the cheaper option. Common hand disinfectants can be used quickly and easily in such euro dispensers. This is also an important criterion for everyday office life.

At the top of the stand, we still want space for a friendly information sign that explains the hygiene concept in a simple and understandable way for everyone.

After a short brainstorming session on how the stand should look, we created the following plan:

Our sketch how the simple stand should look like

The concept is simple and the materials are available in every hardware store. The wooden boards can also be sawn to the right size there. We got all the material completely cut for less than 30, — €.

Here is the shopping list:

• Three black screen printing plates (plywood): base plate with 40x40cm, stand board with 170x14cm and the stabilization with 100x10cm (all each 18mm thick)
• 7 screws: 5x80mm, Torx
• 4 felt stickers or felt slides

Material overview for the stand

This is the necessary tool:

• Cordless screwdriver with charged battery
• Wood drills (3mm and 4mm)
• Countersink bit (5mm)
• Torx bit
• Folding rule
• Pencil

And this is how it works

Overview of the necessary holes and drills

Our drilling template can be downloaded here. But be careful: Depending on the printer, the accuracy of the distances may vary slightly. However, it is very important that you make the holes really very precisely so that everything fits in the end. It is best to measure and mark the distances yourself.

Tip: If you don’t have a corner at hand, you can use the edges of A4 paper (e.g. the drilling template) to help.

The perforations
(4mm drill)

First, we marked the necessary drill holes on the top of the base plate and on the front of the stand board. We are drilling from the side that will be visible later so that any fraying of the drill holes is not visible. Alternatively, you can attach an additional board with screw clamps on the back, so nothing goes wrong. However, you need a second board, which can be perforated. The drill holes are then deepened on the right side with the countersink so that the Torx screw heads sink flat and flush.

The drilling
(3mm drill)

Then we change the drill and make suitable holes for the screws on the board ends. We have to make sure that the distances are exactly right. The holes that come into the stabilization board from the side are also drilled.

Screw connection
After all the holes have been drilled, we start assembly. First we screw the stand board together with the stabilization. You have to make sure that the sides on which the base plate will be mounted later finish off the same. Then the two boards are fixed on the base plate. Finally we tighten all the screws again.

The grand final
At the very end there are the felt stickers on the bottom. To do this, we glued 4 felt adhesives in the corners of the base plate — with a distance of approx. 1 cm from the edge.

The finished stand

Now we mount the dispenser and a nice self-designed information sign on top and we are … Done!

The complete stand with hand disinfectant dispenser and sign in the entrance area

And how long does it take?

In total, we invested around 2 hours in building the stand: the tools were there. The concept was ready in 30 minutes. 1 hour has passed for shopping in the hardware store (including the journey). The assembly took another 30 minutes.
The time for this documentation here for you was about as long :-)