Can Neon Glow Sticks Be Reused?

Activating a Glow Stick

• Bend the glow stick to activate it. This will break a small glass vial inside the tube, which in turn mixes two chemicals and activates the glowing color in the stick. Shake the stick a few times to mix up the color evenly and produce a brighter hue.

Extending the Life a Glow Stick

• To reuse a glow stick that has already been activated, place the glow stick in the freezer at the first sight of color dimming. Cold air solidifies the mixture and slows down the chemical reaction. Placing a glow stick in the freezer until it is completely frozen will stop the chemical reaction completely, thereby extending the life of the stick until it is activated again.

  Glow sticks face an adverse reaction when subjected to heat. Running hot water over a glow stick speeds up the photons and makes the light glow brighter, but diminishes the life span of the glow stick as a result.

Notes

• Glow sticks are short-term light sources, and freezing them will only temporarily extend their life. Do not attempt to refreeze them after the light fades a second time.

  Glow sticks are fairly inexpensive. A box of 100 can be purchased for under $1 each, so attempts to reuse old sticks are unnecessary.

  Never attempt to puncture a glow stick to remove the liquid and preserve the color. The liquid chemical inside can cause irritation to skin and eyes and may be toxic if ingested.