Ultraviolet Disinfection: What To Know

I'M KIND OF A BIG DEAL-Ultraviolet Light 

UV Light is king in the sanitization world. In fact, it's used regularly in hygiene-strict contexts such as the medical industry and in laboratories.  It's proven to kill 99.9% of the germs that reside on just about any surface. 

What is Ultraviolet Light?

Ultraviolet (UV) Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation.Electromagnetic radiation itself is emitted by the sun in a range of different waves and particles.

Within this radiation, there are broader wavelengths. They form the electromagnetic spectrum – this spectrum includes seven types of radiation – including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, x-rays, gamma rays, visible light, and UV light.

UV light can be divided further into three types:

  1. UV-A (or near UV)
  2. UV-B (or middle UV)
  3. UV-C (or far UV)

The size of wavelengths describe the differences between the subtypes of UV light.

These three types of UV light have different effects as well.

For example, UV-B is largely responsible for your tan. While UV-A might not make your skin darker, it works in tandem with UV-B to damage your skin. If you’re not wearing sunscreen religiously, this may result in wrinkles, skin cancer, or other health complications.

UV-C light from the sun doesn’t make it past our ozone layer in any measurable amount. However, this light is used for disinfecting all sorts of things, from contaminated water to aquariums, food and beverage facilities, and utensils.

It’s got the shortest wavelengths of all the UV lights and can therefore be used safely for sanitization purposes.

UV light doesn’t have to come from the sun alone. When it comes to using UV-C light for sanitation purposes, the UV-C light comes from an artificial source, often a lamp of some kind.

But, how does UV light disinfect?

Short wavelength ultraviolet light, aka UV-C light, kills microorganisms on the surface of an object by penetrating their cellular walls and destroying both nucleic acid and DNA – effectively deactivating bacteria.

The radiation from UV-C light can penetrate the bodies of microorganisms and disrupt the bonds between atoms. It breaks apart the bonds that keep bacteria alive.

Using UV-C light is a disinfection method that’s been used since the mid-20th century and is so effective that it’s often used in hospitals, industrial kitchens, and public institutions.

The sanitization effects of UV-C light have a rate of up to 99.9% efficacy, an impressive score for disinfection without soaps, alcohols, or water and heat.

If you’re loving the sound of cleaning with light so far, you’re probably wondering if people use UV-C light sanitizing outside of the medical, culinary, and public arenas.

Luckily, a team of renowned medical, biotech and UV lighting experts behind Clean Light Labs have developed a portable device for your home. 

Meet UVee Clean Sanitization Device

 

UVee clean white model

 

It’s called the UVee Clean – and its primary purpose is to clean adult toys, something that requires thorough disinfection for safety and hygiene. But, hey, it's able to disinfect other germ-laden items as well, such as smartphones, remotes, cutlery.

UV-C light is the perfect disinfectant for adult toys. It’s friendly for non-water-resistant motorized toys and is more effective at killing harmful bacteria that, if left to breed, could lead to infection and the transfer of STDs.

Another big issue with cleaning adult toys is that most people just aren’t in the mood to get out of bed and scrub their toys in the sink after achieving an orgasm.

Orgasms are a significant health boost, but let’s be honest here: most of us would rather turn over and have a nap after, not face some sex toy hygiene chores.

Wait...go back, did you just say my smartphone is germ-laden?

Unfortunately, yes. Your smartphone is probably the dirtiest object in your home. And yep, you press it against your face on the daily.

In fact, there are nearly 30,000 bacteria per square inch on your phone and found that amongst the population on your favorite device were such nasties as E. Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus. It's a veritable germ paradise. 

The commonly found bacteria on a phone can lead to diseases and infections such as pink eye, staph infection, and even the flu. Yep... 

Feel free to toss your favorite device (It's OK, we won't tell your toys) into the UVee Clean as a perfect smartphone disinfectant. Pro tip: your phone charger can feed through the device while disinfecting.  

What Else Can I (Safely) Pop In UVee Clean?

  • TV remotes
  • Toothbrushes (especially the non water resistant parts of electric toothbrushes)
  • Earphone buds, and headphone cushion covers
  • Microphones / headsets
  • MP3 players and other small electronic devices
  • House keys
  • Computer mouse
  • Handheld controller
  • Children’s toys

If you have any items in your home that you touch regularly touched or expose to your face and can’t be washed in the sink – those are the items most likely to be harboring months, if not years, worth of bacteria and need a water-free cleanse using UV light.

While many of us are exposed to plenty of potentially dangerous bacteria every day, you may have noticed you’re not always getting sick.

However, it can be a real trial if you live in a family home and one member of the family comes down with the flu.

 

 

So, How Does UVee Clean Work?

This multi faceted device is a cleaning, charging, lockable storage solution for at home use. It's job is to cleanse its contents using UV-C rays emitted from inbuilt lamps. 

 vibrators charging inside UVee Clean

Here’s a few best practice tips: 

1. Wipe things down!

UV-C light can kill the bacteria on an object, but it can’t physically remove matter from it.

You need to either rinse or wipe down particularly soiled objects before throwing them under a UV-C lamp for sanitization.

Baby or personal wipes are perfect for this purpose. You can try this on a range of at-home dirty objects such as TV remotes, children’s toys, and even your own adult toys.

2. Give it sufficient time.

You’ll need to check the manual on whatever UV disinfectant device you’re using, but in the case of the UVee Clean, you’ll need to leave objects in the unit for between 5-10 minutes before they are disinfected.

Use a timer if you’re in a hurry so that you don’t end up retrieving your item before it’s properly cleansed.

3. Keep silicone items separated.

If you’re using the UVee Clean for sex toys, then you’ll want to pay extra attention to the materials of each of your toys if you’re planning on disinfecting them together.

Silicone has this nasty habit of damaging its ilk. If silicone toys are left touching each other, they will disfigure or even melt.

Even if you’re not using and cleaning silicone adult toys, heed our warning.

Plenty of other household items you might want to disinfect are made from silicone, for example: certain cooking utensils and even children’s toys.

Luckily, the UVee Clean comes with separating racks so that you can sanitize multiple silicone toys at once while keeping them from touching – maximizing the power of the UV disinfection.

4. Protect your things and/or privacy! 

Keep your UVee Clean locked, using the in-built passcode system.

Don’t expose your skin to your UV-C disinfecting device

Although we previously mentioned that some tanning beds use UV-C light, it’s important to remember that UV-C light is still radiation. You’re better off safe than sorry by avoiding contact between your skin and a UV-C lamp.

When using the UVee Clean, you’re safe as long as you’ve got the lid down.

5. Keep items clean after sanitization by bagging them.

If you’ve just disinfected an item and want to keep it that way, don’t just throw it into a mothball-ridden drawer or onto a germy tabletop. Try keeping it in some sort of material bag (satin works best, especially for silicone toys that love to attract fluff).

Plastic bags don’t work well as they don’t allow for ‘breathing’ – condensation could form on the inside of your bag and compromise the hygiene of your item.

Even if you’re not sanitizing sex toys, keeping things in satin baggies after they’ve been disinfected is an excellent way of keeping them safe from unnecessary exposure to germs.

Things like earphones can be kept in a satin bag instead of directly in your lint-filled jeans’ pocket or loose in your handbag, jostling for space between your used tissues and loose change. 

 

 

Stay Sanitized and Satisfied!