A large variety of microorganisms live and multiply in the air around us and on the objects we touch, some of which can cause diseases, allergic reactions, food spoilage or other unpleasant consequences. These invisible protozoa are especially dangerous in areas such as medicine, service or transportation. To neutralize these threats, various types of sterilization have been invented. The most popular ones are:
- hot steam, often used in households to treat containers, or baby items, as well as in catering companies to treat utensils.
- Chemical sterilization with the help of various substances (mainly alcohol-containing solutions). It is used in medical institutions, cosmetology or in enterprises where special conditions are required.
- Radiation sterilization is used in medicine or industry and consists of treatment with ionizing radiation. It requires expensive equipment and a separate room.
Each of these types of processing has its own advantages and disadvantages, but all of them are quite labor-intensive and take a large amount of time. Recently, disinfection of objects and surfaces with bactericidal ultraviolet radiation is gaining popularity.
Ultraviolet light treatment
Ultraviolet disinfection is now widely used in water treatment, air treatment or in the packaging of perishable products on a conveyor line. Powerful, expensive equipment is used. But a low-power germicidal UV lamp can be used in the home as a substitute for traditional sterilization or as a means of maintaining bacteriological safety in the home.
The disinfecting UV light operates at a wavelength of 254 Nm, breaking the DNA and RNA chains of microorganisms, which prevents them from spreading. It can neutralize most bacteria, viruses, fungal spores and molds in the air and on surfaces exposed to it.
Its advantages:
- high speed of processing (at a short distance from the lamp can be less than a minute),
- relative ease of use (just turn on the lamp near the object),
- environmentally friendly non-contact method of treatment,
- affordable price of household UV lamps.
The disadvantages include the need to comply with safety rules (the light from the UV lamp should not fall on people, animals or plants), as well as the fact that the treatment is not subject to objects that are not under direct rays (hidden in the shade).
Options for the use of UV lamps in the home
- Treating items with ultraviolet light instead of steam sterilization (jars, baby items)
Often food packaging without pre-treatment of containers leads to their spoilage, as fungal and mold spores are constantly in the air in any room. Children's things often end up on the floor, although their cleanliness is important for the child's health. For UV sterilization, it is sufficient to place any item under a light bulb for a few minutes. The advantage of using 254 Nm germicidal UV is that, unlike hot steam, plastic or paper containers can be treated without damage.
- Treatment of outerwear after the street, being in public transportation.
Visiting crowded places, we are always exposed to the attack of a large number of viruses. Therefore, even the cleanest outerwear should be isolated in the hallway, and best of all, disinfected. At home, it is very easy to do this with a UV light bulb installed in the closet. A few minutes of operation of the UV lamp is enough to neutralize 99.9% of microorganisms.
- Treatment of various items on which large amounts of bacteria accumulate
UV lamps are very convenient to use for treatment of any items that require special attention, as the treatment does not require contact, moisture and the process itself does not take much time. Today there are many devices for UV treatment: toothbrushes, cell phones and other items.
- Processing of musical instruments
Wind instruments (flute, harmonica, etc.) require care every time they are used. To keep them clean, they are wiped down with special products, but what about hard-to-reach places? UV light can help, which is non-contact, it is only necessary for the rays to reach the desired area.
This is just a small part of the many uses of germicidal ultraviolet light in the home. For all of these tasks, the quartz kit, which is presented on our website, is quite suitable.
