This Glowing Powder Shows How Easily Germs Can Spread
If you're still wondering why it's so important to wash your hands thoroughly, YouTuber Mark Rober has a clever way to show just how easily germs can spread.
"I always thought if we could just see the germs around us, everyone would be a lot more careful, and we'd get sick way less," Rober says at the beginning of the video. So he ran an experiment in a third grade classroom for a day, using Glo Germ, a powder that you can't see when it's on your hands unless you use a blacklight. Since it transfers to everything you touch, it provides a clear visual of how germs can spread.
As a control, Rober uses a blacklight to note which spots fluoresced before the students (who didn't know about the experiment) arrived. The teacher shakes the hands of three random students as they enter the classroom. During break, Rober puts Glo Germ on the hands one student. Then, two hours later during lunch, Rober checks the results. Since his flashlight can only illuminate one spot a time, he uses PhotoShop to better visualize his observations.
So many different surfaces fluoresce, including the tops of desks, the carpet, the door handle, the sink and water fountain, container lids, the teacher's phone, and the other kids. Rober points out that along with washing your hands after touching commonly used surfaces, it's also super important to wipe those surfaces down.
He also stresses the importance of not touching your face, which the Center for Disease Control and Protection recommends. While it's predictable that third graders couldn't help but touch their faces throughout the day, the teacher also had Glo Germ on her face even though she says was trying extra hard to avoid touching her face.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
