No Go Glow Bath

Glow sticks have made a huge comeback lately with all sorts of DIY projects and fun. Victoria found a pin for putting glow sticks in the tub for her children, but things didn't quite go right. 

The Original Pin

The source Victoria followed led her to this page: http://happyhomefairy.com/tag/glow-sticks/

but this photo was taken by Julia Galdo and can be found on her website http://www.juliagaldo.com/photography.html and is photo number 22 in her personal gallery (went through all 93 of her tumblr pages looking for this...I should have just gone straight to her site. And...her photography is lovely, but it does contain nudity, just warning you if you click over to her site). 

Victoria said, "I wanted to do something fun for my 5 year old since we had been going through a lot as a family.  [We] had a bunch of glow sticks from a party, and I thought she would love this."

She filled up the tub, bent the glow sticks to get them glowing and then she cut them open and dumped the glow liquid into the tub. While it didn't mix with the water like she had hoped, rather it just stayed where it splattered, her daughter was still excited to hop in the tub. 

The Pinstrosity

We actually don't have a picture for this...and while we normally always ask for a photo, we thought this one was worth posting sans photo. 

Victoria shared the following: "As soon as she stepped into the tub and sat down she started crying.  Said it hurt.  I was worried there was a chemical or something in it.  I washed her off and got her out and she had these little nicks and cuts on her legs.  I couldn't understand it.  It wasn't until a few weeks later after our drain started backing up that my husband got down and found little broken pieces of a hollow glass tube in the drain.  Now I realize that the crunch noise to activate the glowing is a small glass tube within the plastic tube being broken.  That was what had cut my baby girls leg.  Utter fail and worst of all dangerous.  I never knew those even had glass in them.  I dunno, maybe we used the wrong ones.  But, we used the glow sticks that can be used as bracelets.  I think this is important to let others know because it's not safe."

I discovered the glass tubing during my attempt to make the glowing bubbles and cringed a little as I read Victoria's email as I knew right where this was going. Most of the glow sticks have those glass tubes in them. The glass tubes keep the chemicals separate, and bending the glow stick breaks the glass and allows the two chemicals to mix producing the glow. 

The post Victoria found doesn't actually suggest opening up the glow sticks into the tub. It says, "Glow Stick Baths!  Fill up the tub, pile all your Happy Buddies in, turn out the lights, and throw in some Glow Sticks. You will not believe how cool this is!"

So...if you're using glow sticks DO NOT cut them open. 

**Some glow sticks are toxic and others aren't...we don't know which kind Victoria used. But that is something to think about with glow stick projects in the future. Also, everyone has different views and feelings on the varying levels of chemicals in their lives. While putting glow liquind straight into the bath may seem like a bad idea to some, it would be pretty run of the mill with others. So, please be kind in your comments regardless of whether you are on the "Chemicals are the devils tools" side or the "Who cares?" side (or even someone in the middle).**

Other ideas on how to make bath water glow can be found here: http://chemistry.about.com/od/glowinthedarkprojects/a/glowingbubbles.htm. 

I know that's a link for bubbles, but it could be adapted to the bath.

You can also check out this idea (using highlighters and a black light bulb) http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2012/03/outer-space-themed-bath.html.