The Bread Slice Experiment: Why You Need to Wash Your Hands

Some regions are in the middle of flu season. In fact, they haven't even reached their peak yet, and with each year, various institutions do everything possible to minimize the impact. Teacher Jaralee Metcalf of School District 93 in Bonneville declared herself tired and sick of being tired and sick, and to demonstrate the reach of germs, she conducted a simple experiment using bread slices, touched and manipulated under different conditions. The results are conclusive... and disgusting.

Have you fallen sick in recent days? Do you think you've done everything right, but somehow "the bug got you"? The problem with the concept of "immunity" is that it requires a collective effort, and on certain occasions, even that isn't enough. However, something as simple as washing your hands three or four times a day with soap and water can take us far.

Looking for proof? What about a small school experiment? Maybe it doesn't have the technical requirements of a professional laboratory, but if we consider the environment (a classroom full of children who study and play all day there), it's more than enough. Teacher Jaralee Metcalf of School District 93 in Bonneville only needed five bread slices and five Ziploc-style plastic bags to prove her point:

The first slice was rubbed on the surface of the Chromebooks they use in class. The second is a control slice, and ended up inside the bag intact, without prior handling. In the third, all students touched the slice. In the fourth, the slice was touched by those who washed their hands with soap and water. And in the last slice, they replaced the soap/water combo with hand sanitizer.

The results took between three and four weeks due to the preservatives in white bread slices... but they speak for themselves. The slice rubbed on the Chromebooks ended up black. There were no changes in the control slice, and the one touched by students experienced several mold growths. The slice handled by those who washed their hands remained intact, and the surprise goes to the sanitizer, which doesn't seem to work as well as believed.

In summary: In or out of season, you have to wash your hands. In public or private spaces, you have to wash your hands. When in doubt, you have to wash your hands. Want to reproduce this experiment at home? No problem! Are you in education and want to bring it to class? Don't think twice!

Source: Jaralee Metcalf on Facebook