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The flu season is here, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting widespread influenza activity in 23 states. However, if you want to tell people to be careful, stats rarely get the point across. Especially if you’re dealing with elementary school kids.
Jaralee Metcalf is a behavioral specialist who works in an autism unit with students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Recently, she and her coworker – special education teacher Dayna Robertson – found a science experiment on the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital website, called “How clean are your hands?”
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Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
“We chose this experiment for our science class because we had been learning about decaying leaves and toxic mold and flu season was approaching,” Jaralee Metcalf told Bored Panda. “We decided it would be a cool experiment to learn about germs by using moldy white bread!”
Together, they put five slices of bread in separate bags. One slice was inserted untouched, another one was touched by kids with dirty hands, one was touched by kids who washed with soap and water, and one was touched by kids who used hand sanitizer. Finally, they added a slice that they rubbed on the classroom Chromebooks.
Mold started forming on some of the slices in just a couple of days.
The mold that formed from the Chromebooks
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
Here’s the untouched slice of bread
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
The one that was touched by kids with dirty hands
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
The slice that was touched by washed hands
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
And the one that was touched by kids who used hand sanitizer
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
And it worked. “The students were very involved, they usually are with hands-on experiments!” Metcalf said. “Since the results were so shocking, the students and staff have taken a very serious turn toward better hygiene. Students from different classrooms in the entire school have come to our class to look at the moldy bread and learn about handwashing.”
Metcalf also wanted to use the opportunity to tell all the parents that hand washing isn’t always enough. “If you send your child to school when they are sick, they put everyone at risk. Including teachers and our families! I’d like to urge parents to keep their sick children at home!”
Metcalf described the experiment in a Facebook post, and it instantly went viral
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
Here’s what people said about it
What do you think ?
Kenny Kulbiski 5 years ago
I certainly learned something. I'm never, ever eating another Chromebook.
Renee Gauthier 5 years ago
I remember the boy who tested the school water fountains & the school toilets for bacteria as a science project. The toilets were cleaner because they get cleaned every day. There's germs everywhere though, and most of them die a natural death & don't bother you.
Load More Replies...
Carol Emory 5 years ago
We did an experiment similar to this in college, but using swabs and petri dishes. I will say it changed the way I enter and leave places now, how I use the public taps. I'm so grateful for foot controlled trash bins and water fountains. People are gross. I can't tell you how many times I've used the public restroom and have seen little girls walking out without washing their hands. Remember that guys for the next time she touches your face. Blech!
Night Owl 5 years ago (edited)
"I can't tell you how many times I've used the public restroom and have seen little girls walking out without washing their hands. Remember that guys for the next time she touches your face." EWWWW!! Edit: Wait, are those the cooties people keep talking about? 😃 😂
Load More Replies...
Ed Souza 5 years ago
In that case, I'm afraid you need to be quarantined.
Load More Replies...
Fleur De Lis RN 5 years ago
Hand washing is the single, most effective way to prevent the spread of infection.
Martti Laurson 5 years ago
I have the same kind of lunch bag as dirty hands. No one ever tries to steal my lunch :D
Ellis 5 years ago
Every cloud has a silver lining! Or in this case; the bread has a cloud with some silver-coloured lining
Load More Replies...
Lesley Price 5 years ago
I am far more concerned about the preservatives that last 3 to 4 weeks. Non of that nasty would be there if you ate fresh bread. It wouldn't have time to multiply
The Frog 5 years ago
So what's a chromebook, Is it a tablet or something?, I mean, of course you should teach your children to wash their hands after they use the toilet but please.. let's not do this wrap them up in cotton wool thing, I ate mud and worms when I was 8.. I stayed out when it rained without a coat on etc.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
"A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based Chrome OS as its operating system. The devices are primarily used to perform a variety of tasks using the Google Chrome browser, with most applications and data residing in the cloud rather than on the machine itself." Wikipedia
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Fixin'Ta 5 years ago
I'm a germaphobe (for good reasons -- I've had some scary experiences being sick), and wash my hands an inordinate number of times a day. Hand sanitizer is way better than nothing, as long as you use it correctly. My son always says, "Mom, you have an immune system!" And yes, I do. But there are plenty of people in the world who have compromised immune systems, and we can help them out by being hygienic and not spreading diseases. Also, the TV show Mythbusters did several episodes about germs, and their conclusions were that 1) germs get easily passed around (the episode where they played card games with simulated snot), 2) mobile phones are gross as hell and very germy, 3) public toilets are gross as hell. So yeah, I clean my cell phone when I get home from being out in public, and I will not touch my husband's or son's cell phone. If you don't want to be kind to yourself by being hygienic, please be kind to the other people you come into contact with every day.
Cindy Murray 3 years ago
Quick questions as my daughter wants to do this experiment. First, can I use a baguette instead of sliced bread? Second, do I need to spritz water on the bread to create moisture to brew the germs?
Luann Lee 4 years ago
Bad science, for so many reasons. Also, most of the stuff growing on the bread is around us every day. If by chance some kid had staph or strep or salmonella, you do NOT want to be culturing that in a classroom. You do NOT want to release mold in your classroom if a kid has a mold allergy. What do I know, though? I ran a microbiology lab before moving into teaching science a few decades ago.
Tyvole Bazilišek 4 years ago
I would like to state that mold IS NOT bacteria. Mold is a fungi. It is known, that hand sanitizer does not substitute hand washing completely, rather supplements it and substitutes it, when there's no water around to be washed with, but this prooves nothing. We wash our hands so that viruses and bacteria don't stay on them very long, as if they stay, we are much likely to touch our mouth, eyes, nose and shorten and speed up their path into infecting us. Hand sanitizer only kills bacteria, if it's alcohol based (say from 70% up), it also kills some viruses, but not necessarily mold. This looks groundbreaking, but in fact, prooves nothing. I appreciate the contribution, but please stop spreading lies.
Drive Bee 4 years ago
This is great because it shows how much is carried on unwashed hands. Yes, the molds may be basically harmless but obviously, if they are there, so are the flu germs and whatever else is going around. Little kids are not really conscious of what they touch or of washing their hands.
Suzanne Harris 4 years ago
Interesting fact: by number of cells, you are more bacteria than human.
Cody Flynn 4 years ago
This is crazy very interesting hands get washed more then keyboards just wow
Caroline Driver 5 years ago
I guess all that it really shows is that so called hand sanitiser does nothing of the sort and is a total rip off. Soap is better
Astrid Nineor 5 years ago
Depends how well you use em, if you wash oroperly, yes, soap is better, but... Many people clearly don't wash at all
Load More Replies...
Troux 5 years ago
The real science mystery is how she got one slice into the bag without touching it!
Amazon QT 5 years ago (edited)
Science Tongs... But the bread could be touched by someone at the factory that makes the bread- albeit they might have neoprene gloves on like most food manufacturing facilities use... but that’s not always the case. When I worked as a Supervisor for a famous candy company in Tacoma, WA, I’d seen many food-handlers place their “one time use” gloves in their pocket (where they’d put their money usually) so they don’t have to go get more gloves when they need them. I had to get in their cases daily about doing that constantly, drove me nuts that people didn’t get the connection that you are to get the gloves out of the container, place them on and only touch the food and nothing else (like their hair under their hairnets or clothes or apron). That goes for fast food restaurants, regular sit-down restaurants as well. I had worked in the food industry for over 20 years (1990-2008 & 2011-2014) and have seen this stuff a lot. Where I go to eat sometimes, I say something every time I see someone handling food with gloves on and then they touch their clothes, their hat, etc. cause most people are full of germs when they come into an establishment and then when I see a coworker going to the restroom w/o taking their apron off, I’ll say something as well.
Load More Replies...
Barbara Vandewalle 5 years ago
Notice the hand sanitize was as bad as no washed hands. So many think that stuff is better than soap and water. I worked in the school lunch room NOPE! There is toxic chemical in the sanitize and it is absorbed through the skin.
manowce 4 years ago
some people commenting about "inaccurate science"... *sigh*. those kids are 8. you teach things gradually. first the rule, then the exceptions and following rules (here, in Poland, we teach small kids that you always put a comma before a certain word. later on we teach them that there are exceptions because some expressions go without that. it's not inaccurate, it's SIMPLIFIED). yes, there are useful microbes. and yes, wash your damn hands because poop microbes are not useful AT ALL. this experiment was supposed to teach kids that there is lot of dirt on our hands and that's why we wash our hands, not that you should scrub your hands to the bare flesh because all microbes are bad
Tyvole Bazilišek 4 years ago
It's not that important to tell them there's three kinds of danger and anti-bacterial alcohol sanitizer can kill two of them effectively, while the third remains almost untouched (the mold). It is inaccurate and false, and went viral. It essentially is spreading fake news. If people stop using hand sanitizers, it will have it's effect. Hand sanitizers are great as a supplement to washing hands and as a substitute, if there's no running water to be had.
Load More Replies...
Brett Connor 5 years ago
if this were real bread the results would have been different! All commercial bread has that Yoga Mat chemical in it to make the bread soft. The bread I grew up with disappeared decades ago. If this were fresh home baked bread the results would have been drastically different.
Kenny Kulbiski 5 years ago
I certainly learned something. I'm never, ever eating another Chromebook.
Renee Gauthier 5 years ago
I remember the boy who tested the school water fountains & the school toilets for bacteria as a science project. The toilets were cleaner because they get cleaned every day. There's germs everywhere though, and most of them die a natural death & don't bother you.
Load More Replies... Carol Emory 5 years ago
We did an experiment similar to this in college, but using swabs and petri dishes. I will say it changed the way I enter and leave places now, how I use the public taps. I'm so grateful for foot controlled trash bins and water fountains. People are gross. I can't tell you how many times I've used the public restroom and have seen little girls walking out without washing their hands. Remember that guys for the next time she touches your face. Blech!
Night Owl 5 years ago (edited)
"I can't tell you how many times I've used the public restroom and have seen little girls walking out without washing their hands. Remember that guys for the next time she touches your face." EWWWW!! Edit: Wait, are those the cooties people keep talking about? 😃 😂
Load More Replies... Ed Souza 5 years ago
In that case, I'm afraid you need to be quarantined.
Load More Replies... Fleur De Lis RN 5 years ago
Hand washing is the single, most effective way to prevent the spread of infection.
Martti Laurson 5 years ago
I have the same kind of lunch bag as dirty hands. No one ever tries to steal my lunch :D
Ellis 5 years ago
Every cloud has a silver lining! Or in this case; the bread has a cloud with some silver-coloured lining
Load More Replies... Lesley Price 5 years ago
I am far more concerned about the preservatives that last 3 to 4 weeks. Non of that nasty would be there if you ate fresh bread. It wouldn't have time to multiply
The Frog 5 years ago
So what's a chromebook, Is it a tablet or something?, I mean, of course you should teach your children to wash their hands after they use the toilet but please.. let's not do this wrap them up in cotton wool thing, I ate mud and worms when I was 8.. I stayed out when it rained without a coat on etc.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
"A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based Chrome OS as its operating system. The devices are primarily used to perform a variety of tasks using the Google Chrome browser, with most applications and data residing in the cloud rather than on the machine itself." Wikipedia
Load More Replies... Fixin'Ta 5 years ago
I'm a germaphobe (for good reasons -- I've had some scary experiences being sick), and wash my hands an inordinate number of times a day. Hand sanitizer is way better than nothing, as long as you use it correctly. My son always says, "Mom, you have an immune system!" And yes, I do. But there are plenty of people in the world who have compromised immune systems, and we can help them out by being hygienic and not spreading diseases. Also, the TV show Mythbusters did several episodes about germs, and their conclusions were that 1) germs get easily passed around (the episode where they played card games with simulated snot), 2) mobile phones are gross as hell and very germy, 3) public toilets are gross as hell. So yeah, I clean my cell phone when I get home from being out in public, and I will not touch my husband's or son's cell phone. If you don't want to be kind to yourself by being hygienic, please be kind to the other people you come into contact with every day.
Cindy Murray 3 years ago
Quick questions as my daughter wants to do this experiment. First, can I use a baguette instead of sliced bread? Second, do I need to spritz water on the bread to create moisture to brew the germs?
Luann Lee 4 years ago
Bad science, for so many reasons. Also, most of the stuff growing on the bread is around us every day. If by chance some kid had staph or strep or salmonella, you do NOT want to be culturing that in a classroom. You do NOT want to release mold in your classroom if a kid has a mold allergy. What do I know, though? I ran a microbiology lab before moving into teaching science a few decades ago.
Tyvole Bazilišek 4 years ago
I would like to state that mold IS NOT bacteria. Mold is a fungi. It is known, that hand sanitizer does not substitute hand washing completely, rather supplements it and substitutes it, when there's no water around to be washed with, but this prooves nothing. We wash our hands so that viruses and bacteria don't stay on them very long, as if they stay, we are much likely to touch our mouth, eyes, nose and shorten and speed up their path into infecting us. Hand sanitizer only kills bacteria, if it's alcohol based (say from 70% up), it also kills some viruses, but not necessarily mold. This looks groundbreaking, but in fact, prooves nothing. I appreciate the contribution, but please stop spreading lies.
Drive Bee 4 years ago
This is great because it shows how much is carried on unwashed hands. Yes, the molds may be basically harmless but obviously, if they are there, so are the flu germs and whatever else is going around. Little kids are not really conscious of what they touch or of washing their hands.
Suzanne Harris 4 years ago
Interesting fact: by number of cells, you are more bacteria than human.
Cody Flynn 4 years ago
This is crazy very interesting hands get washed more then keyboards just wow
Caroline Driver 5 years ago
I guess all that it really shows is that so called hand sanitiser does nothing of the sort and is a total rip off. Soap is better
Astrid Nineor 5 years ago
Depends how well you use em, if you wash oroperly, yes, soap is better, but... Many people clearly don't wash at all
Load More Replies... Troux 5 years ago
The real science mystery is how she got one slice into the bag without touching it!
Amazon QT 5 years ago (edited)
Science Tongs... But the bread could be touched by someone at the factory that makes the bread- albeit they might have neoprene gloves on like most food manufacturing facilities use... but that’s not always the case. When I worked as a Supervisor for a famous candy company in Tacoma, WA, I’d seen many food-handlers place their “one time use” gloves in their pocket (where they’d put their money usually) so they don’t have to go get more gloves when they need them. I had to get in their cases daily about doing that constantly, drove me nuts that people didn’t get the connection that you are to get the gloves out of the container, place them on and only touch the food and nothing else (like their hair under their hairnets or clothes or apron). That goes for fast food restaurants, regular sit-down restaurants as well. I had worked in the food industry for over 20 years (1990-2008 & 2011-2014) and have seen this stuff a lot. Where I go to eat sometimes, I say something every time I see someone handling food with gloves on and then they touch their clothes, their hat, etc. cause most people are full of germs when they come into an establishment and then when I see a coworker going to the restroom w/o taking their apron off, I’ll say something as well.
Load More Replies... Barbara Vandewalle 5 years ago
Notice the hand sanitize was as bad as no washed hands. So many think that stuff is better than soap and water. I worked in the school lunch room NOPE! There is toxic chemical in the sanitize and it is absorbed through the skin.
manowce 4 years ago
some people commenting about "inaccurate science"... *sigh*. those kids are 8. you teach things gradually. first the rule, then the exceptions and following rules (here, in Poland, we teach small kids that you always put a comma before a certain word. later on we teach them that there are exceptions because some expressions go without that. it's not inaccurate, it's SIMPLIFIED). yes, there are useful microbes. and yes, wash your damn hands because poop microbes are not useful AT ALL. this experiment was supposed to teach kids that there is lot of dirt on our hands and that's why we wash our hands, not that you should scrub your hands to the bare flesh because all microbes are bad
Tyvole Bazilišek 4 years ago
It's not that important to tell them there's three kinds of danger and anti-bacterial alcohol sanitizer can kill two of them effectively, while the third remains almost untouched (the mold). It is inaccurate and false, and went viral. It essentially is spreading fake news. If people stop using hand sanitizers, it will have it's effect. Hand sanitizers are great as a supplement to washing hands and as a substitute, if there's no running water to be had.
Load More Replies... Brett Connor 5 years ago
if this were real bread the results would have been different! All commercial bread has that Yoga Mat chemical in it to make the bread soft. The bread I grew up with disappeared decades ago. If this were fresh home baked bread the results would have been drastically different.
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