Glo Germ: Handwashing, aseptic & isolation techniques, infection control

Glo Germ and Sore No More donate materials for Carol Miles mission to train nurses, staff, and children in Vietnam

Carol L. Miles RN, BSN
Vital Links for Humanity, Inc.
PO Box 1496/ 2783 Feiner Lane
Eagle River, WI 54521-1496

Kids have fun and learn about handwashing at Concord Christian Academy

Dear Joe and Misha,

The children at Concord Christian Academy have clean hands AND a pure heart. That's right, on Thursday, January 21, 2010 grades pre-k through 6th grade were given an in-service with demonstrations on hand-washing. Supplies were donated by Glo Germ Company. The children all learned that germs and bacteria can not be seen by the human eye. A demonstration using a spray water bottle showed how germs and bacteria can travel from one student to another very easily. Water was sprayed on one students hand then they would touch the desk, then another student would touch the same spot on the desk and showed the class that their hand too was then wet. Their hands never even touched. Germs and bacteria travel in much the same way. The childrens voices were elevated as they saw their hands under the ultra-violet light with the "glowing germs" from the lotion given by the Glo Germ Company.

The kids then washed their hands and repeated the process to see if they had washed their hands thouroughly. They learned that there are places they should not forget when hand washing, especially around the fingernails and rings. The younger children did not always remember to wash the backs of their hands. Several children realized that cuts and scraps need a bit more soap and water for cleaning. After the fun was had the children completed their game or coloring sheet on hand-washing while Tom and Sue Calkins gave instructions on exactly how to wash hands thouroughly to keep all the children happy and healthy at Concord Christian Academy. Lastly, the children signed their name at the bottom of their instruction sheet to pledge to wash their hands and all agreed to support and encourage one another in doing so. Fun was had by all. The whisper of clean hands continued even into the proceeding days at school.

Thank you to the Glo Germ Company for providing the supplies for this possibly life saving in-service to our school. The pictures show all the fun. The last 3 pictures are of the second grade class. The first two are of them thanking the Glo Germ Company and the last one is of them acting like the germs are all over their bodies.

Thanks again and God Bless,

Tom and Sue Calkins

Elementary Education Project

Kara Streit is an Elementary Education student at Ball State University. She recently had to complete a project for a health science fair for third grade students. Kara was able to incorporate Glo Germ into her project and the following text and pictures are the result. Thank you Kara for sharing your work with us.

Throughout the day of the health fair we had approximately 200 students attend our booth. We discussed with the students what a germ is, how germs are spread, and how to stop germs from spreading. Our main focus however was to center on how to stop germs from spreading. This brought in the Glo Germ activity for the students to participate, which they really enjoyed. We had the students rub the Glo Germ lotion on their hands and view them under the black light. A majority of the students were shocked at the way their hands looked under the ultra-violet light. Throughout the experiments, students kept saying that they were going to start washing their hands better.

My group and I really enjoyed this activity and presentation for the students. We were excited to present it to them and work with them on how to help prevent the spread of germs. We just want to thank you again for your generosity for the donation that we received from the Glo Germ Company. It greatly helped the students and even us as a group become more aware about germs and how important it is to wash your hands very well on a regular basis.

—Karen Streit

Glo Germ used in Mexico

We've used GloGerm in our educational activities.
The response from the course's participants was great!

—Dr. Enrique Acosta
Use of Glo Germ in Mexico

4-H Club Project

Christopher Fales of Victoria, TX, recently used the Glo Germ product to teach his 4-H group about germs. "Everyone really liked seeing how easy germs are spread," said Christopher. "And everyone had a great time while learning."

Congratulations Christopher on a great job teaching others about germs.

Girl Scout Troop learns benefits of handwashing

Dear Mr. Kingsley,

Thank you very much for the opportunity to show my sixth grade girl scout troop the benefits of thorough hand-washing. I purchased one of your kits last month and our troop used it during a progressive sleepover dinner. During the evening, the girls completed activities to earn a junior badge called “Let’s Get Cooking”. One of the activities was called “Keeping It Clean” and suggested using apples, jars and clean hands and dirty hands. The activity was to take two apple pieces, wash one apple piece and then wipe it with dirty hands and place it in a sealed jar labeling it “dirty hands”. Then after washing hands, you are to take the second apple piece and wash it, then wipe it with clean hands and place it in a second sealed jar labeling this jar “squeaky-clean”. After one week, the girls are to observe both apple pieces and answer questions such as: Are there any differences? And how does this experiment demonstrate the importance of washing your hands?

I learned of your product through a friend a few months ago and when I read the above activity from our girl scout badgebook, I immediately thought of glo-germ. I thought that it would be really great if the girls could earn the cooking badge in one evening and not have to wait a week. Also, after spending some time at your web-site, I was convinced that your product would show the girls not just how important it is to wash their hands, but to really wash them thoroughly and to think about how easily and quickly our hands can pick up germs from anything and everything.

Thank you again for such a great, fun and educational experience. And thank you for allowing a discount on your kit provided our girls wrote down their observations and reactions. Attached are their comments. I’m giving this kit to our service unit leader so that other troops in our service unit can reap the same benefits we did.

Sincerely,
Maria Betten
Leader of G.S. Troop 544 of Allen, TX
(A troop from Service Unit 108)

Glo-germ observations and reactions from Girl Scout Troop 544 from Allen, TX. (sixth grade girls)

“I thought the germ thing was great! I learned a lot about washing hands.”

“I was grossed out! I freaked! It was awesome!”

“The germ thing was awesome!” I never knew there could be so many germs in one place!!!”

“That was cool but gross. After seeing my hands, I’m going to carry purell in my purse and use it every time I touch something. Thanks for the cool experience.”

“I thought it was very interesting to see how many germs really are on my hands.”

“The germs were very big! I loved it!”

“It was really cool but it itched. I loved it, but it was so gross!”

“I thought the germ thing was pretty cool, but it was disgusting.”

“I thought it was cool and disgusting to see all the germs.”

Preventing Dry Skin

Below is an inservice I put together on dry skin for a handwashing push during Infection Control Week. I've always loved the Glo Germ products for teaching handwashing. My favorite place to teach is school - the kids get such a kick out of their glowing hands! I would like to submit this to your on-line newsletter or letters to the editor in your catalogue.

Objective: The employee will be able to state three measures to help prevent dry skin.

Your skin protects you from exposure to harmful irritants and potentially pathogenic organisms (also called germs). Damage to the skin (ex: dry skin, chafed, cracking, etc.) negates this barrier function. This may allow disease causing germs to "get under your skin!" Non-intact skin increases your risk of acquiring a bloodborne disease if your bare skin is exposed to blood or body fluids or acquiring a skin infection if exposed to bacteria.

Cold weather, low humidity, age, dietary deficiencies, some medications, some medical conditions, frequent handwashing, and exposure to harsh products and chemicals contribute to dry skin.

Ways to help prevent the development of dry skin include:
Wear gloves and warm clothing when it is cold.
Wash with warm, not hot, water. Hot water opens your pores and allows natural oils to escape.
Pat your skin dry rather than rubbing roughly with paper towels (saves your outer layer of skin!)
Wear protective gloves when cleaning or handling chemicals (at home and at work). Nitrile gloves are generally the most chemically resistant.
Use skin care products that are mild, pH balanced, and dermatologist tested.
Apply appropriate moisturizers often, preferably when the skin is damp. This is best at night when you can put on cotton gloves to retain the moisture. Paraffin hand baths can also help to replace moisture to dry skin.
Seek guidance from a dermatologist for severe cracking, chapping or breakdown.

Healthcare workers who have direct patient care should not work with open, abraded or cracked skin. It is the workers responsibility to report this condition to his/her immediate supervisor for adjustment in job duties or appropriate referrals.

Take care of your skin at home too. A "recipe" for healthy skin: Always wear a sunscreen with and SPF of at least 15, look for one with UVA and UVB protection. Avoid the sun in the middle of the day. Cloudy weather doesn't protect you from the sun's damaging rays, so wear sun block then too. Avoid tanning booths, they are as damaging to the skin as the sun's rays. Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants needed for healthy skin. Don't smoke and avoid second hand smoke.

Resource: APIC Guideline for Handwashing and Hand Antisepsis in Health Care Settings

PREVENTING DRY SKIN ANSWER SHEET

Name:__________________________ Unit___________ Date:______

1. Name three measures that can be taken to prevent dry skin.
a.
b.
c.
submitted by: BugGal1989@aol.com

1. Hand shake.

I sprinkle a small amount of Glo Germ powder (like pepper on a salad) on my hand which I use to 'shake hands' with. Then, just shake the open hand out over the floor to get the excess to drop off. (This has the best effect when done without the students seeing you put the powder on your hands. When I have not choice, but put the powder on in front off my 'victims'; I always say to their face: YOU DID NOT SEE ME DO THIS, OKAY??...and they almost always say,Okay!). Shake hands with the first student and then the best demo is to have that student shake hands with a second and so on....the Glo Germ trace will usually go to 5 to 6 students...if you can see the Glo Germ under the UV light...you will have caught the flu or whatever you name the "bug". A variant of the above is when the 'victims' do not know of the Glo Germ's presence and you let 15 to 20 min go by to let the natural contacts continue. This is even more striking!

2. Dry aerosol.

This can be done by two 'powder puffs' and a fan; making sure the powder is blowing in an area or direction in which people are NOT in the air flow. The powder is a lung irritant when air borne, but not toxic...

3. Wet aerosol.

ie a sneeze....Take two heaping tablespoons of Glo Germ powder and mix thoroughly with two cups of olive oil (or similar type of light oil). Let settle over night and then decanter as much of the oil out as possible. Get the remaining oil out by putting the mixture into cloth and wring out any additional oil. Mix the oil coated powder into a pint of water. Shake well. This solution can then be put into a spray bottle for the simulation of a sneeze or wet bio security attack. Please note if the solution spoils any clothing, it can be washed in warm water and Tide liquid. Do not wash clothing with Glo Germ contamination in Hot water. The Glo Germ particles have a very low thermal mass and will 'melt' into the cloth permanently.

Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands song

Produced by Stamford, CT Public Schools- Springdale Elementary School – 10/01/08
(Sing to Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Wash, Wash, Wash your hands
Several times a day
Soap and water always work
To Send the germs away

Dry, Dry, Dry your hands
Every time you wash
If you dry them every time
The germs you're sure to squash

Brush, Brush, Brush your teeth
Every day and night
Brush, rinse, and spit……
Your smile will be bright

Wear, Wear, Wear warm clothes
Zip you jacket closed
Then you will not catch a cold
And have to blow your nose

Blow, Blow, Blow your nose
Then go wash your hands
Boogers running down your face
Really isn't grand

Cover, Cover, Cover your cough
Please use your arm
Keep the germs away from friends
So they can do no harm

Eat, Eat, Eat each day
Breakfast is the rule
Then you will be smart and strong
And never will miss school

HOME