Glo Germ™

(22 reviews)

Read Reviews | Write a Review

View Free Lesson Ideas

Glo Germ Classroom Kit
Item #: GLO-210
$46.95

94 points (Points accrued: 0)

With 6 1/2 inch battery powered light
- +

Learn about Extra Credit Points®

Glo Germ Group Presentation Kit
Item #: GLO-200
$63.95

128 points (Points accrued: 0)

With 21 inch AC powered light
- +

Learn about Extra Credit Points®

Glo Germ Lotion Refill
Item #: GLO-220
$19.95

40 points (Points accrued: 0)

Learn about Extra Credit Points®

Glo Germ Powder Refill
Item #: GLO-230
$19.95

40 points (Points accrued: 0)

Learn about Extra Credit Points®

Clearly demonstrate how germs are spread!

AA Heavy Duty Batteries 40/pk

SKU #BAT-10P

Availability: In Stock

$14.95

30 points (Points accrued: 0)

Qty.

AA Extra Heavy Duty carbon-zinc batteries. Sold in packs or cases.

Description

Glo Germ is a fantastic product which safely and graphically demonstrates to students and adults alike how germs are spread. Used throughout the United States in schools, hospitals and food services, Glo Germ consists of an odorless lotion or powder which glows brightly when exposed to ultraviolet light. Perfect for your health curriculum.

To demonstrate proper hand washing, simply have students rub Glo Germ lotion on their hands. This simulates the spread of thousands of tiny plastic fluorescent "germs" on their hands. Then, ask each students to wash their hands as they normally would. Finally, a fluorescent ultraviolet lamp may be used to spot the remaining "germs". Under the lamp, the plastic "germs" glow brightly so that they may be easily seen by your students.

To use the powder to show how germs are spread through contact, shake a small amount of the powder into the palm of your hand and shake hands with several other people. Use the ultraviolet lamp to demonstrate that you have transferred "germs" to them.

The Glo Germ Classroom Kit contains a battery operated ultraviolet light, an eight ounce bottle of lotion, and a four ounce bottle of powder. The ultraviolet light runs off of four AA batteries and is approximately 6.5" in length (colors may vary). This kit is excellent if you want mobility, since it does not require an electrical outlet.

Similar to the Classroom Kit, the Glo Germ Group Presentation Kit contains an eight ounce bottle of lotion, and a four ounce bottle of powder. The ultraviolet light in this kit, however, is 18 inches long and runs off regular house current. Very large! Very impressive! This kit is good for an extremely graphic demonstration of how germs are spread. (Ultraviolet light runs on standard North American line current, 110 volts 60 Hz)

The Glo Germ Lotion base comes in an eight ounce bottle and is used to demonstrate proper hand washing. Each bottle is good for 75 to 100 applications.

The Glo Germ Powder comes in a four ounce container and is used to demonstrate proper surface cleaning as well as the spread of germs. Each bottle is good for many cleanings since only a small amount is used.

Check out our GERMS Newsletter - filled with free discussion ideas, lessons, videos and even humor!

Download the MSDS of Glo Germ Lotion.

Download the MSDS of Glo Germ Powder.

Video

Lesson Ideas

Download the pdf of our lesson!

Download the MSDS of GloGerm Lotion.

Download the MSDS of GloGerm Powder.

Write a Review

Reviews

22 reviews

6 inch light

Jan 14, 2023

As others have also commented. The 6 inch UV light doesn't work consistently. Has to be held in a certain way to get it to work, which makes it difficult to use and it still doesn't always stay lit. Otherwise the kit is a great tool to teach children proper handwashing in a very visual way. However you can't do the experiment without a working light.

Rebecca Hartsel

Was this review helpful?

6 inch light doesn't work

Feb 1, 2022

Disappointed in the 6 inch light--it doesn't work unless held a certain way, if at all. Glad I bought the 18 inch light as well--that one works much better. Lotion seems to work at least

Kristin Hammon

Owner Response: I'm sorry to hear that your light is malfunctioning. One of our customer service representatives will reach out to you to replace your faulty light.

Was this review helpful?

Goo-Germ Lotion

Jan 29, 2022

The kids love this activity! I am only commenting on the lotion because that's what I most recently bought. I appreciate the fact that it has ingredients listed now (my old one didn't)...I was able to discover that it contains soy oil, so I know to warn anyone with an allergy not to use it! My less than 5 stars rating is ONLY because it can't be used by everyone. It works great with the UV light and has been very useful in training the kids to wash their hands more effectively. It doesn't hurt that 5th Graders have a competitive streak! For allergic folks, I use the powder instead, which I think doesn't work as well rubbing onto hands.

Phoebe Griffith

Was this review helpful?

Eye Opening!

Mar 13, 2020

Even though this is geared towards younger kids, I used this in my Upper School class after a conversation about germs and hand washinhg. Even the kids who stated that they were extra careful were amazed at what was left on their hands!

carole glantzow zboray

Was this review helpful?

Glo-Germ Liquid and Powder

Feb 26, 2019

As an outreach presentation we no longer use the Glo-Germ because one of Duke's sister outreach groups MGM (Molecular Genomics and Microbiology) uses it in their presentations, often at the same venue that we are staging a presentation. We primarily have used it to show the washing of hands and how one person can pass germs to others through the shaking of hands. I've also seen it used at museums for the same purposes. Based on our usage, the liquid is all that is necessary but if you use the solution frequently, then I suggest you use the powder to refresh the bottle of liquid as needed. As for the black light, we purchased ours at the Party Store right after Halloween when all the items are on sale. They are longer and easier to use than the portable black lights and the room does not need to be totally darkened to see the glow. The only problem we've had with these lights is the cord shorting out when it is not coiled up properly for storage. Since they are so inexpensive this is not a problem financially but one should check for wear, especially where the cord enters the housing of the lamp before using. The Glo-Germ contains a fluorescent substance that when excited by the UV light the substance absorbs the energy, which in turn relaxes. The substance does not in turn gives back all of the energy as UV. Instead, some of the energy causes internal changes in the substance itself; the remaining energy is given off as a photon of light, which often is in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. These changes are almost immediate; that is why as soon as the exciting source of energy (UV) is removed the fluorescence ceases almost immediately. And no mater the frequency (above the threshold) the frequency of light emitted will always be the same (same color)!

Kenneth Lyle

Was this review helpful?

Quality Control Lab Supervisor

Jun 11, 2018

Michelle Price

Was this review helpful?

poor quality light

Apr 5, 2015

The light bar is poorly made and the switch cover broke off the very first time I tried to use it. Unless the room is totally dark, it was hard to see the "germs" I plan to contact and ask for a replacement . I would not recommend this light or kit for use in schools or other places.

Joanne Rader

Owner Response: I'm sorry you have had a challenging time with the light. We are happy to send you a new one, and if you are not completely satisfied we will issue you a refund.

Was this review helpful?

Glo Germ Fun Simulation

Aug 14, 2014

I used Glo Germ to help staff in a lab understand how small quantities of material can cross contaminate other work areas. Easy to use. Fun and very revealing

Was this review helpful?

Dialysis Tech

Jul 29, 2014

It was exactly what I wanted it to be. Thank you.

Linda Trenn

Was this review helpful?

Glo-Germ Lotion

Jan 25, 2014

Works great under even the cheapest little UV flashlight. Really eye opening for kids when teaching how germs are spread or how ineffectively their hand washing are working. Worth the money as a little goes a long way.

Sharon

Was this review helpful?

lecturer

Jan 23, 2014

Use this with my pre-service teachers and an NSTA lesson called Catching a Cold to show the importance of proper handwashing.

Jane

Was this review helpful?

GloGerm

Jul 20, 2013

Excellent; just as expected.

Marvis Hinson

Was this review helpful?

Excellent Training Tool

Jul 1, 2013

This is an excellent product. It helps to get the point across related to germs and the importance of handwashing.

Billie

Was this review helpful?

Handwashing Competency

May 17, 2013

I am the QA Coordinator for our dept at work. I used your product to inservice my staff & to do competencies to show how under the rings, under fingernails ect do not get enough friction to clean. It served the purpose well. Next I plan to use on equipment that gets cleaned to show effectiveness. It is simple to use but serves well for all age groups.

Tammy Johnson

Was this review helpful?

Glo Germ

Oct 6, 2012

I love this stuff and so do my students! Nothing better to demonstration how easily "germs" can be transferred and why washing your hands is so important.

Elaina

Was this review helpful?

Eye-opening!

May 27, 2012

We used one bottle for a science fair and demonstrated it on about 100 people with some left over. We didn't use much because we didn't want to run out but it still gave a very good demonstration of how germs hide under jewelry and around cuticles.

Jessica Lay

Was this review helpful?

Glow Germ

May 23, 2012

This product is amazing! I used it with my middle school students and it completely captivated them to see that even after washing there hands they still had traces of germs between their fingers and in their nails. It was a great way to start our germ unit and made them want to learn more.

Jennifer

Was this review helpful?

Wonderful item

May 21, 2012

Works better than you can imagine!

Laura Koselak

Was this review helpful?

Great for health and biology

May 16, 2012

I used this kit to introduce my bacteria unit in Biology and my students were very much intrigued. Great hands-on activity, literally! I also used it in my Health class to introduce our nutrition unit, in relation to cross contamination. Highly effective.

patyserrano

Was this review helpful?

Infection is Easy!!

May 16, 2012

Great for teaching infection to high school students. Just use the powder, not the lotion. Plant some on your hands as you shake the kids' hands or on the classroom doorknob. Then shine the light and see where it has spread. Make sure to point out to your students the difference between glo-germ and lint though! We've even seen it on people's faces. I have a pair of UV protective goggles they put over their eyes so we can look at faces and not damage vision. I gave 4 of 5 stars b/c the lotion is ok for transmission labs, but the powder works best!

Mary

Was this review helpful?

Very Eye-Opening

May 16, 2012

I've used this with elementary through high school students. It really makes an impression. Usually it takes about 3 or 4 handwashings before they get all of the 'germs' from the backs of their hands, around their fingernails, etc. 'Seeing is believing', and this makes a big impression. I have used the same kit for years; a little goes a long way. Very good buy. I used it to teach microbiology, anatomy, and forensic science, and it would be great for family and consumer science too.

Shelley Mitchell

Was this review helpful?

Hard to see

May 16, 2012

It is very difficult to see the "glow" even with the black light. ...................................................................................................................................... ....................................**Educational Innovations Responds**................................... ...................................................................................................................................... We find that this experiment works best in a room with the lights dimmed.

Deanna Engler

Was this review helpful?

NGSS

This product will support your students' understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, as shown in the table below.

Elementary

Middle School

High School

3-5 ETS1-3

Students can use the Glo Germ Kit in an investigation to generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3

Students can use the Glo Germ Kit to analyze data from sampling student fingerprints to determine similarities and differences.

HS-ETS1-3

Students can use the Glo Germ Kit in an investigation to evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Suggested Science Idea(s)

3-5 ETS1-3
MS-ETS1-3
HS-ETS1-3

The global passing of deadly germs is a real world problem. You can scratch the surface of this problem by infecting your classroom with Glo Germ on the classroom door handle or other classroom surface students are likely to come into contact with. This Glo Germ is only visible under a UV Light; students are unsuspecting. Students can collect data to see how easily the spread of germs can happen. Coming up with an engineering solution is a viable application and activity.

Variations of loop, whorl and arch patterns are what make up the fingerprint. The traits of fingerprint shapes and patterns are unique to each person. Fingerprints are made when the minute ridges on the last digit of the finger comes in contact with the Glo Germ, then printed on other surfaces. Students can use the UV light to reveal fingerprints and possible identities.

3-5 ETS1-3
MS-ETS1-3
HS-ETS1-3

Another application of the Glo Germ Kit can be used for inquiry activities, such as crime scene scenarios (CSI). By comparing fingerprints at the scene of a crime with the fingerprint record of suspected persons, students can establish the proof of presence and identity of the suspect. No two persons have exactly the same arrangement of the ridge patterns.

3-5 ETS1-3

Students can use the Glo Germ Kit to plan and conduct investigations collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered.

MS-ETS1-3

Students can use the Glo Germ Kit to get the fingerprints of the students in their classroom. They can analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. Students can also do similar investigations with family members.

HS-ETS1-3

Students can use the Glo Germ Kit to collect fingerprints/Germs and/or evidence of presence at a location.

* NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product.

Q & A

Glo Germ™

AA Heavy Duty Batteries 40/pk

NGSS

Get $5 off

Unlock VIP deals, free lessons, and exclusive sales offers!

Unlock VIP deals, free lessons,
and exclusive sales offers!