Antimicrobial Kiosk
With the recent outbreak of coronovirus, flying to Portland or Phoenix or other locations gives one pause when we consider the many surfaces that we will come in contact with. Being fearful of unclean surfaces is 100% rational and I can personally attest to the discouraging ratio of men in airport restrooms which walk out without washing their hands before leaving.
We have generated over 30,000 quotes for kiosks in the last 10 years and rarely have we seen specific line items for “Cleaning and Janitorial Services” which would include wiping down and cleaning all surfaces with an approved germicide capable of killing MRSA and others. We won an award many years back for devising UV cleaning process, but that is not perfect either.
Leave it to the children to devise new measurement baselines for cleanliness and non-clean.
Excerpt:
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 an experiment on the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital website, called “How clean are your hands?”
Image credits: Jaralee Annice Metcalf
“We chose this experiment because we had been learning about decaying leaves and mold and flu season was approaching,” Jaralee Metcalf told Bored Panda. “We decided it would be an awesome mold experiment to learn about germs by using moldy bread!”
Together, they put five slices of bread in separate bags. One slice was inserted untouched, another one was touched by kids with unwashed 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!”