| | Category | MI | L23 | Don't Sweat the Small Stuff |
| | Abstract | The purpose of this experiment was to determine which odor eliminating |
| | spray killed the most bacteria that were extracted from a previously worn |
| | shoe to determine whether the sprays successfully killed the bacteria or |
| | simply masked the odor. Oust, Febreeze, and Dr.Scholl's odor eliminating |
| | sprays were tested on the shoe bacteria. It was originally hypothesized |
| | that Dr. Scholl's would kill the most bacteria, but it was later hypothesized |
| | that Oust would kill the most bacteria after several tests. To test this |
| | experiment, filter paper was sterilized in an autoclave for thirty minutes |
| | and placed in a shoe during exercise. The filter paper was then cut into 1 |
| | cm by 1 cm pieces, sprayed with each odor- eliminating sprays, and |
| | diluted in water using sterilized equipment. The diluted water was applied |
| | to three triptych soy agar dishes per spray with a graduated pipette and |
| | placed in an incubator for twenty-four hours. After the twenty-four |
| | hours, the samples were placed in a refrigerator until ready to be |
| | observed. The number of bacterial colonies that formed on each of the |
| | agar dishes was counted, compared, and averaged to determine which |
| | spray had the least amount of bacterial growth. Oust proved best |
| | effective in killing the sweat bacteria, and Febreeze proved to be the least |
| | effective in killing bacteria. This experiment accurately proves that though |
| | air fresheners and odor eliminators may have a pleasant aroma and say |
| | that bacteria is killed through the use of the spray, most do not actually kill |
| | the bacteria that is the cause of the foul smell. |
| | Bibliography |