UVC Light Disinfection: The Future of Cellphone Disinfection
Few things have revolutionized the process of disinfecting cellphones and electronics quite as much as UVC Light Disinfection. As cellphone technology has advanced over the last two decades, smartphone usage has risen significantly, to the point where seemingly everyone owns a cellphone. This makes things like keeping in touch with friends, sending emails for work and even shopping more easy than it ever has been before.
However, the unintended side-effect of all this cellphone usage is the vast quantity of germs living on cellphone screens that can be transmitted to you or the people around you by just using your cellphone. These devices are with us at all times, they live in our pockets, are held in our hands, brought near to our faces when we take phone calls and rest on our dinner tables while we eat food. The close proximity that our cellphones have to our bodies makes it extremely important that these electronic devices are disinfected, in order to stop the spread of germs to ourselves and others. Cellphones, on the surface, appear to be completely innocuous but in actuality their screens harbor tons of little germs invisible to the eye because of countless hours of use and contact with human hands and surfaces.
But how does one go about disinfecting something that gets used all the time every single day, gathering bacteria all the while? UVC Disinfecting products from ChargeTech, such as our Clean & Charge AC Carts ensure that your cellphone/electronic devices will be clean and germ-free. Though there are many methods of sanitizing and disinfecting your cellphone, ChargeTech's UV-C Disinfecting products make certain that your device is germ-free and safe to be used after going through the UVC Light Disinfection process. Does UV Light Disinfect?
Methods of Cellphone Disinfection
Since countless people own cellphones, there are myriad different methods in which they disinfect their phone. However, home remedies and utilization of at-home cleaning products simply are not sufficient for keeping a cellphone totally disinfected. Oftentimes, traditional methods of cellphone disinfection fall short of the protection provided by the UVC disinfection process performed by ChargeTech products.
Many will suggest wiping down a cellphone in order to sanitize the device for further use. Simply wiping down your cellphone with a damp cloth does not provide protection against bacteria and pathogens hidden in plain sight on a cellphone's screen. In addition, going further than using a simple damp cloth and using cleaning agents on the surface of your cellphone's screen to disinfect the device can lead to the corrosion of the device itself.
There's more to disinfecting a cellphone than meets the eye.
According to PC Mag, Apple issued a statement about iPhone disinfection during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when cellphone disinfection was coming under more scrutiny in the midst of worldwide fear of spreading harmful pathogens. Here is an excerpt from it:
"Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces."
Apple put forth these rules because iPhones (and essentially all cellphones with a touch-screen) have an oleophobic (meaning finger-print resistant) coating that is corroded by harsh cleaning agents and glass cleaners, wearing down the efficacy of the touch screen and degrading the hardware of the cellphone. In addition, using any kind of water or cleaning wipe can unintentionally get moisture into the device itself, including the charge port, further damaging the smartphone's electronics in the process. Because of this, self-disinfecting a cellphone with household cleaning materials is generally not the most safe and efficacious process for your devices.
Lifestyle website The Spruce writes about various actions cellphone users should take to disinfect their devices. These include the following:
- Wash your hands frequently: It is a great idea to make a habit of periodically washing your hands. The hands touch so much throughout the day and pick up so many germs. Keeping clean hands, washed with hot soapy water, is a great first step to maintaining your cell phone's cleanliness.
- Regard your phone as a personal item: Perhaps you can even just let them know that this is a predetermined policy you have and that you never allow others to use your cell phone. Think of it as a comb or tooth brush, both items you wouldn't even think about letting others use.
- Don't handle your cell phone at the table: Wash your hands before you eat and don't pick up your device until you are finished with your meal...it's unsanitary.
Despite these being important things to keep in mind as a cellphone owner/user in order to upkeep the cleanliness of your cellphone, it cannot protect from the many unavoidable germ-filled encounters cellphone users encounter everyday, including using a smartphone in a crowded business, grocery store, airport or other any other location where someone might need to make a phone call or check an email. It is important to keep these things in mind when handling your cellphone but ultimately none of the above steps detailed by The Spruce will keep your cellphone safe from bacteria and are simply precautionary measures.
The best possible solution for the difficulties posed by keeping your cellphone germ-free is UVC Light disinfection. Not only is the process quick and efficient but it poses no risk for the cellphone itself whilst it is being cleaned. The efficacy rates of ChargeTech's UV Clean & Charge products ensures your cellphone/electronic device is germ-free and ready to use at a moment's notice.
The Swift UV is one of the most effective UVC Light Disinfection products on the market. Click on the image to learn more.
Does UV Light Disinfect?
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, ChargeTech has developed UVC Disinfecting products to keep your enterprise safe, whatever it may be. Whether you work at a school that uses hundreds of laptops that need to be disinfected after every use, run a business that requires employees to use a smartphone or tablet that needs to be disinfected between shifts, or you manage a hotel or entertainment venue where cleanliness is key in the wake of the global pandemic, ChargeTech UVC Light Disinfection products are there to ensure whatever the need is, our UVC technology can maintain the disinfection of your devices, keeping your workspace safe from bacteria and pathogens.
ChargeTech products keep smartphone users safe from harmful viruses like COVID-19
Here's how it works. ChargeTech UVC Light Disinfection products utilize UV light in order to disinfect your smartphone, personal computer, tablet or other consumer electronics quickly and with great efficacy. Ultraviolet (UV) light is a form of light that is not visible to the human eye. In an article titled "Understanding the Power of Light to Kill Germs" from Violet Defense the process of UV Light Disinfection is described thusly:
DNA & RNA is the genetic material that makes up all living organisms, controlling their growth, development, functioning and reproduction. UV light produces electromagnetic energy that can destroy the ability of microorganisms to reproduce and cause inactivation of microbes by causing mutations and/or cell death.
UV light can destroy the ability of microorganisms to reproduce by causing photo-chemical reactions in nucleic acids (DNA & RNA). The ultraviolet energy triggers the formation of specific thymine or cytosine dimers in DNA and uracil dimers in RNA, which causes inactivation of microbes by causing mutations and/or cell death and failure to reproduce.
UV Light has a shorter wavelength than visible light, meaning it has higher energy than visible light. On the electromagnetic spectrum, UV light sits right in between X-rays and visible light. UV light is divided into three categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA is defined as light with wavelength 315-400nm, UVB is 280-315nm, and UVC is 100-280nm. With the shortest wavelength band, UVC is the highest energy light in the UV spectrum.
UVC wavelengths of 250-280nm are considered to be germicidal. In nature, light that is emitted by the sun in the 250-280nm spectrum is fully absorbed by our atmosphere. This means that none of it reaches the Earth’s surface, which means none of it is absorbed by living organisms. Because of this, microbial cells do not possess any natural resistance or defense mechanism against this type of light due to the fact it never naturally makes it to the Earth.
This makes UV Light a powerful tool for destroying bacteria because the bacterial cells have no defense against it. This includes harmful viruses and pathogens, making UV Light one of the strongest lines of defense against viral diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic. According to this article on the Philips website, UVC Light disinfection is effective against all viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
"UV-C radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water and surfaces that can help mitigate the risk of acquiring an infection and has been used extensively for more than 40 years. All bacteria and viruses tested to date (many hundreds over the years, including various coronaviruses) respond to UV-C disinfection. In laboratory testing, Signify’s UV-C light sources reduced SARS-CoV-2 virus infectivity on a surface to below detectable levels in as few as 9 seconds."
Because of UVC Light's germicidal properties it is able to breakdown the DNA and RNA in organisms, such as the bacteria crowding the screen of your cellphone. These bacteria have no defense against the UV Light, killing the germs via exposure to the light's energy. This is the process that occurs when a cellphone or laptop is placed within a UVC Light Disinfecting product from ChargeTech, keeping the device clean without the use of harmful cleaning products or bleach.
What Are the Uses for UVC Light Disinfection?
Disinfecting a cellphone with UV-C is both safe and effective.
UVC Light is one of the most effective ways to disinfect and render a cellphone germ-free, even more so than traditional disinfection methods. Though some cleaning products that utilize UV Light merely sanitize, taking care of some of the germs, ChargeTech products utilize germicidal UVC light to disinfect, leaving your cellphone ready to be used, germ and worry-free in only five minutes. In regard to UV light's ability to disinfect, an article from Advanced BioTechnologies Inc. describes UV light's wide variety of disinfecting capabilities in this manner:
"UV light has been used for sterilization and disinfection as early as the mid-20th century. With advancements in technology, and specifically in the UV bulbs themselves, its reliable long lifespan (thousands-of-hours) and smaller size (e.g. UV LED vs traditional UV bulbs) has broadened the field for where it can be used. You can find it being used to disinfect: water, air, fruits, vegetables, surgical utensils, tablet computers, toys and a variety of surfaces."
In practice, UVC disinfection is relatively straightforward and easily understood. Any object or space which is subjected to UVC light for a sufficient amount of time will be disinfected. This is why it has grown so popular—it is easy, effective, and comes with no downsides. UVC technologies have been adopted in many different spheres:
- Air disinfection for public environments, including classrooms, hospitals, airplanes, malls etc.
- Disinfecting water in water treatment plants.
- The disinfection of factory equipment.
- Disinfection of food and beverages in the food service industry.
Beyond technology and personal electronics, UVC Light Disinfection is being performed in a wide variety of different industries to successfully disinfect a whole host of different things, proving its safety and efficacy across varying industries. Though UVC should not be used in direct contact with people, the UVC Light Disinfection process is safe and effective for disinfecting cellphones and consumer electronics and the process poses no risk to users once the phone, laptop or tablet has been disinfected.
The Swift Disinfecting Station is a perfect addition to any workspace.
Is UVC Light Disinfection Safe?
UVC Light Disinfection is a powerful tool for getting rid of bacteria and pathogens on your electronic devices. But you may be wondering whether UVC Light is safe for humans to be around/operate and if there are any side effects to being exposed to the light. Rest assured that in a controlled environment, such as our Clean & Charge AC Cabinets 2.0 where the UVC Light Disinfection is occurring in a contained space, UV Light Disinfection is totally safe.Other products, such as UV Wands that are pointed directly at cellphones (or other items that need to be disinfected) are more unpredictable and volatile because they can give direct exposure to UV Light, as opposed to ChargeTech products where the UVC Light Disinfection occurs in a contained and safe environment.
In addition, UVC Light Disinfection is not only safe for humans but the process is able to kill all viruses and bacteria, giving peace of mind during this time where worries about viruses and bacteria are heightened in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. The previously mentioned Advanced BioTechnologies article has this to say in regard to UV's ability to combat against viruses and bacteria.
"Is UV sterilization effective for viruses and bacteria? The short answer is yes, and even more organisms. Studies have shown that UVC at 254 nm is effective against all foodborne pathogens, natural microbiota, molds, and yeasts. Because microorganisms come with different sizes and shapes that affect their UV absorption, the required time for killing each species varies."
How ChargeTech Products Keep Your Cellphone Disinfected
10 Bay Clean & Charge AC Cabinet 2.0
$1,595.00
The 10 Bay UV Clean & Charge Cabinet 2.0 disinfects up to 10 devices in just 5 minutes.
The 10 Bay UV Clean & Charge Cabinet 2.0 is able to charge and clean up to 10 devices at the same time. This unit is ideal for charging a large amount of cell phones or other personal devices. The simple One-Touch control system makes it easy to operate the charging and UVC Disinfection cycles with the touch of a button. With a disinfecting period of only five minutes, the 10 Bay UV Clean & Charge Cart 2.0 is the perfect personal device disinfection solution for schools or the workplace.
Also available in 20 Bay, 30 Bay and 40 Bay options. The larger cabinet options are ideal for a high volume of cell phones or other personal devices. With a cleaning cycle of five minutes, the 20, 30 and 40 Bay UV Clean & Charge Cart 2.0 are perfect personal device disinfection solutions for schools or the workplace.
To learn more about ChargeTech’s UVC disinfection solutions for cell phones, Click here to view our products or reach out to a ChargeTech team member.
