Going beyond soap and water
There are innovative solutions to keep your home safe and germ-free, writes Meera Murugesan
ENSURING your home is safe and free of bacteria and viruses during the pandemic can be challenging. Not everyone has the time and resources to springclean their living environment when people enter or leave the house.
But how about a desk lamp that disinfects surfaces in your room once activated? Certainly a simpler and far less taxing way of keeping your indoor environment safe.
The use of UV-C lighting is a better alternative than spraying chemical sanitisers, which can be harmful to human skin and the environment, is more costly, and less effective for surface disinfection.
As a disinfection solution, the Philips UV-C desk lamp is designed to effectively inactivate viruses, bacteria, moulds and spores — all in a matter of minutes.
The main misconception about UV-C is that it is only meant for the medical field or places that require regular sanitisation, when in fact, it is also practical for the home environment, explains Signify Malaysia (formerly Philips Lighting) commercial leader (consumer) Esmond Tsang.
“Rather than spending time and resources to clean the house whenever someone leaves or enters, simply activate the UV-C desk lamp and the room will be disinfected accordingly,”
UV-C disinfection is based on the ultraviolet light spectrum. It’s a physical, rather than chemical process, thus reducing the need to make, handle or store toxic, hazardous and corrosive solutions.
The disinfection effect is directly related to the UV-C dose and leaves no chemical residue, unlike liquid cleaning products.
DISINFECTION BOX
Besides the desk lamp, Signify has also introduced the Philips UV-C Disinfection Box, which allows users to sanitise small objects of everyday items, such as phones, wallets and keys.
The box is simple to operate, with intuitive controls, a clear digital display and convenient flip-up cover.
Sanitisation lights or boxes can be ideal
solutions for home sanitisation needs, says Tsang.
Most of us know we can prevent the spread of Covid-19 by wearing masks, washing our hands, keeping our distance, and staying home when we’re unwell.
Yet, many people have become more anxious over how to keep their homes and belongings clean over the last year, he adds.
The concept of UV sanitisation actually comes from nature. The sun emits UV-A, UV-B and UV-C into the solar system.
UV-C radiation does not target a specific part of a microorganism. It has the ability to break down the DNA and RNA of bacteria, viruses and spores, rendering them harmless.
There are no known microorganisms which are resistant to UV-C, so it’s an effective solution in killing all kinds of germs, moulds and viruses, even the mutated, evolving strains of SARS-CoV2.
“A study at Boston University showed that our UV-C light sources could inactivate 99 per cent of SARS-CoV-2 on a surface in just six seconds, and reduce the virus’ infectivity to below detectable levels in as little as nine seconds.”
But the UV-C light is just like the rays of the sun. As such, it can be harmful to the skin and eyes. To ensure that its safe for home usage, Signify has added a layer of
protection to its products.
The desk lamp includes a timer to delay operations until after people have left the vicinity, as well as a built-in sensor that detects movement from humans, which will instantly turn off the lamp.
The disinfection box is designed to switch off automatically when the cover is opened, preventing any chance of the light escaping.