41 Action News tests how germs move around your house

Thousands of Kansas City-area families are spending a lot of time at home with their young children right now, thanks to school and business closings in response to the spread of COVID-19.

HEALTH LEADERSEMPHASIZED TWO THINGSABOVE ALL ELSE: SOCIALDISTANCING, ANDWASHING YOUR HANDS.YOU MAY BE FORCED TODO THE FIRST, BUT HOWWELL ARE YOU DOING THESECOND?WE ASKED 41 ACTIONNEWS ANCHOR TAYLORHEMNESS TO FIND OUT,WITH THE HELP OF HISOWN CHILDREN."Well, there's a decent chanceyou've found yourselfspending a lot of time athome, possibly with your kids.I have three sons here at myhouse, so we got this GLO-GERM kit to test how wellgerms move around thehouse.

It's got non-toxicpowder that's supposed torepresent germs, and a blacklight that finds them once weput them on their hands."WE TOLD MY BOYS, AGES7, 5, AND 5, THAT THEPOWDER WAS PART OF ANEXPERIMENT, AND THEONLY RULE WAS THATTHEY COULDN'T TOUCHTHEIR FACE.

I JUST TOLDTHEM TO SHOW OFF THEIRTOYS.IN THE LIVING ROOM, THATMEANT MAGNETIC TILES,AND WOODEN BLOCKSFOR BUILDING.

THESE AREALL OVER OUR FLOOR ATTHE END OF EVERY DAY.A TRIP TO THE BASEMENTMEANT LEGOS, AND SOME TIME ON THEWHITE BOARD IN OURSTORAGE ROOM.

THEYSTILL DON'T KNOWEXACTLY WHAT WE'REDOING."Why are you guys home fromschool?

Because of thecorona.""What have we been tellingyou to do a lot?

Wash yourhands.

Wash your hands,right!""What if we were pretendingthat the white powder we puton your hands, were germs?"TIME FOR THE BLACKLIGHT, AND SOMESURPRISED BOYS.THEIR "SIMULATED" GERMSWERE ON THE LEGOS.THEY WERE ON THE WHITEBOARD AND MARKERS.THEY WERE ON THEDOORKNOBS AND LIGHTSWITCHES.THEY WERE EVEN ON OURCAT NINJA.BACK UPSTAIRS, MORE OFTHE SAME WITH THE TILESAND BLOCKS, AND THEFIREPLACE COVERED INFINGERPRINTS.BUT WHAT ABOUT THATRULE I ASKED THEM TOSTICK TO?"Did you touch your face doyou think?

Maybe.

Oh I thinkyou did...laughter."ALL THREE OF THEM,DESPITE THE RULE, HADTOUCHED AROUND THEIRMOUTH, NOSE, AND EYES."So guys, what did we learnfrom our experiment?

Don'ttouch stuff when your handsaren't washed."A TRIP TO THE BATHROOMTOOK CARE OF THAT FORALL THREE BOYS.

BUTCLEARLY, MOM AND DADNEED TO DO A BETTER JOBOF TEACHING PROPERHAND WASHINGTECHNIQUE."You think you got all thegerms off?

Will I be in trouble?No, this is just an experiment.You ready?

Yes sir.

Oh mygoodness it's still there.

Do Istill have to wash my hands?What do you think?

Yes."TAYLOR HEMNESS, 41ACTION NEWSIF YOU'D LIKE TO TRY THISEXPERIMENT AT HOMEWITH YOUR KIDS, THE KITSARE AVAILABLE ONLINE.BUT JUST TAKE THIS ASPROOF THAT WE COULDALL DO A BETTER JOB OFWASHING OUR HANDS,EVEN WHEN WE'RE STUCKAT HOME.