Got germs? Of course you do – they’re EVERYWHERE!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying….how about a lunchbox lifehack?
Could the plastic cling wrap you use for leftovers help ward off bacteria?
Meet Sarah Imani and colleagues from McMaster University in Canada. They created a special plastic wrap covered with tiny wrinkles. These uneven edges stopped liquid from clinging to the wrap…BUT what about sticky germs?
First, researchers took everyday objects, like pens and keys, and covered them in the wrap. Then they touched the plastic wrapped objects with bacteria. Next, they used their OWN fingers and touched germ-ridden plastic wrap.
Results? There was almost NO transfer of bacteria to the objects or fingers! The wrinkles made it hard for sticky bacteria to move from one surface to another.
More research is needed before you can buy a family-sized bin of bacteria-resistant plastic wrap. But the researchers hope it could be developed for use in hospitals to keep surfaces germ-free.
So for now, I guess…that’s a wrap!