Children help design yo-yo hand washing aid

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Scientists test specially adapted yo-yo which helps in hand washing

Nottinghamshire school children have helped design a gadget that teaches the young how to wash their hands.

Pupils at John Clifford Primary School in Beeston were consulted by academics at the University of Nottingham and came up with a specially adapted yo-yo.

It has a computer screen which shows six hand washing techniques and contains a special lotion which shows up under a UV light.

The scientists are now searching for a company to manufacture the Glo-Yo.

They hope the toy will eventually be used in schools as an educational tool and in hospitals and GP surgeries as an anti-boredom device.

Doctor Joel Segal, from the university's Faculty of Engineering, explained: "We wanted to design something that was bright, appealing, individual to the child, interactive and fun, and at the end of the day, encouraged them to wash their hands better."

To this end the six stages of hand washing viewed on the computer screen last 20 seconds - which is the recommended amount of time you need to wash your hands properly to get rid of all the superbugs.

And with the use of the UV light individuals can check that they have removed all the special lotion from their hands after washing.

Dr Kim Yardie, from the university's School of Molecular Medical Sciences, said: "We'll use the knowledge that the children have for the rest of their lives and 'pester power' to make sure everybody washes their hands better and less people get infected."