Class is in session.

With 25 new students comes 25 new sets of germs. We were curious to know where exactly those germs end up, which is why PhoneSoap headed back to the classroom with teachers and students this month.
 
With the help of three teachers, we decided to see exactly how dirty everyday classroom items really are, but it wasn’t only classroom items that we tested.

The experiment

We left it up to the teachers to each choose three different classroom items to swab and test. Mrs. Rasmussen chose the outside door handle to her classroom, the yoga ball her kids occasionally sit on, and a pair of scissors used regularly for arts and crafts. Miss Gearheart chose the stapler, a pencil sharpener, and the girls’ bathroom toilet seat. Miss Hamblin wanted to test her attention bell, a playground ball, and the drinking fountain.

In order to do this, we needed the proper supplies. Before swabbing the items, our owner Dan spent time in a local lab to learn exactly how to do this and pick up all the supplies we would need. This included agar Petri dishes, vials of sterilized water, and long cotton swabs. Then it was time to get to work. 

The results 

Here are the results after swapping a few of those items.

Have you said the words "gross" or "nasty" yet? 

But wait, there's more.

For obvious reasons we had to do a few more tests—this time on their cell phones. Here's what we found: 

Luckily after the phones had a quick cycle in a PhoneSoap 3, the Petri dishes came up completely clear. 

"I was shocked at the results! I had no idea how germy my phone is when I bring it home from school. I feel so much better now knowing that I can disinfect it each night before I go to school the next day." - Miss Hamblin

To see the rest of the results, including the "after PhoneSoap" Petri dishes, check out the video below!

In the end

Not all bacteria are bad for us, it’s true. Being exposed to certain germs helps build our immune systems. However, you don’t want to take this many germs home with you because that’s how the cold, flu, and strep start.
 
The PhoneSoap 3 was designed with smartphones in mind but, like all of our UV-C light products, will kill 99.99% of germs* on anything that fits inside. If you’re looking for something that can fit a lot more inside, including computer tablets, remote controls, game controllers, and more, check out the HomeSoap.

*PhoneSoap 3 has been tested by an independent, third-party laboratory to be 99.99% effective against Salmonella, E. coli, MRSA, H1N1, Coronavirus 229E, Staphylococcus, Rhinovirus, Rotavirus. It has been tested on actual phones, Apple™ watch, headphones, credit cards, and keys. PhoneSoap 3 has also been tested to be 99.99% effective against Salmonella, H1N1, rotavirus, and rhinovirus using a modified ASTM E1153 and ASTM E1053-11 for efficacy of UV light on general hard non-porous surfaces such as glass, metals, and plastics. Real-world results may vary depending on size, shape, and material of phone or phone case.