We live in a world where we think we’re the superior species. The apex predator. As it turns out, that’s not really true. Viruses and bacteria are the dominant species on our little blue ball. We’re just living in their world. Whenever you go out, go to a new job site, meet with friends for a pint after work, you’re exposing yourself to germs and other nasty critters. Chemical disinfectants work, but there is a much more efficient solution – UV light disinfection.
Why is Disinfection Important?
The recent global events have shaken the world to its core. From all the threats people wrote books and made movies about, we’ve been hit by one that is invisible. Viruses, germs, and bacteria are everywhere. It’s a good thing we can’t see them because the world would be a very scary place otherwise.
Although most of the germs you come in contact with aren’t all that dangerous, there are some that are. This is why it’s important to wash your hands whenever you use public facilities. Whether it’s the seasonal flu, an outbreak of an exotic virus, or something else, proper personal hygiene has proven to be an essential part of our defense systems.
That being said, washing your hands is neither the only nor the best way to disinfect yourself.
UV Radiation
Ultraviolet radiation is everywhere. It’s an integral part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is constantly bathing our planet, courtesy of our Sun. Up until fairly recently, UV radiation was synonymous with danger. The ultraviolet radiation we get from the sun will cause damage to your skin cells, ultimately leading to more substantial health issues.
On the plus side, strong UV radiation completely neutralizes viruses, germs, and bacteria. These tiny organisms are no match for the mighty output of our local star.
Recently, we’ve figured out a way to utilize the UV spectrum in a way that isn’t harmful to us humans but still kills all potentially harmful microorganisms around. This type of UV radiation is called UV-C, and it is used in both industrial and personal disinfection devices. There are devices such as the UV shoe sole sanitizer, UV personnel sanitizers, and more. All of these devices offer much better efficiency than most of the chemical cleaning solutions. Not to mention the fact that UV works all the time as long as the device is on.
Why Have a UV Light Disinfection Device at Home?
At this point, you’re probably wondering why go so far as to get a UV disinfection device at home? The answer is simple — we’re just recognizing the microbial threats that are around us. Bacteria are becoming immune to antibiotics while viruses keep evolving.
Every time you leave home and come back, you’re potentially bringing some unwanted intruders along with you. Here’s a few simple examples:
- Your job requires you to travel a lot. During your travels, you’re staying at various hotels or motels, interacting with people in different environments, gathering bits and pieces of each environment, and bringing it all home
- You frequent a local gym that is known for being packed. Gyms are well-known vector virus transmission, bacterial infection transmission, and other potential health risks.
Both of these scenarios can end well if you step through a UV disinfection device first. This is especially true for UV devices designed to disinfect shoes. By washing clothes, we tend to eliminate most of the germs we bring home.
However, we rarely wash shoes. Instead, we just take them off and leave them near the door. A UV shoe sole disinfection device reduces your risk of bringing home any harmful organisms from your trip to the gym, work, or your local pub.
How Effective is UV-C Radiation?
Once How effective is UV-C radiation when it comes to neutralizing germs? The answer is — very. UV-C radiation is harmless to humans but deadly to everything else. That being said, it’s not 100% efficient when exposure times are short.
The longer you expose potentially contaminated objects or surfaces to a source of UV-C radiation, the better your results will be. For best results, you’ll want to combine the UV treatment with the standard chemical treatment. This is the only way you can reliably eliminate a potentially dangerous pathogen that has hitched a ride on your shoes or clothes.
UV light disinfection equipment is currently in its early stages of widespread use. More and more healthcare facilities are experimenting with this form of disinfection.
There is a good chance that you’ll find UV-C checkpoints at the entrance of many healthcare facilities in the near future. From there, it’s only a matter of time before this technology becomes standardized in other public institutions, and ultimately private homes.