Online CPR Certification Blog
Safer Surroundings: How to Disinfect Air and Surfaces Using Air Purifiers & Portable UV Lamps
Date: May 5th, 2021
Portable UV Lamps and Air Purifiers Reduce Exposure to Disease-Causing Pathogens.
How safe is the air you breathe and your surrounding? Can you do anything to improve its quality?
If you’re in planet earth then you must know we’ve been under a year-long siege thanks to a deadly pandemic (COVID). The Coronavirus is a virus that transmits from person to person via air, contact, or through droplets in an infected person’s cough.
A virus is just one of the many microorganisms in our surroundings. Microscopic organisms are widely known to cause illnesses. The most common ones include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.
These microorganisms float in the air or rest in surfaces or floors. And because you can easily acquire an infection from inhaling or touching infectious objects and surfaces, it helps to safeguard yourself using appropriate PPE like face masks and other decontamination devices like portable UV lamps.
Sterilizing with ultraviolet light is said to be unique because you can’t detect it with the naked eye. It’s a high-frequency beam that is clinically proven to eradicate disease-causing microbes such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
Traditional liquid-based disinfectants come with many disadvantages, for instance, the pungent odor associated with the constituent chemicals. Such disinfectants are likely to leave and spread germ residue when you wipe a contaminated surface.
Ultraviolet light is effective in fighting disease-causing germs because it releases electromagnetic rays that effect the microorganisms at a molecular level.
It can eliminate any pathogens within a surface or fabric, making it a cheap yet effective way to disinfect and decontaminate.
UV light comes in three primary wavelengths that are identified by the first three letters of the alphabet: A, B, and C. Out of these forms, UV-C has the uppermost frequency and is the only form of UV that can inactivate or destroy microbes.
Although UV light kills harmful substances effectively, it can also be harmful to humans and other living things. That explains why you must be cautious when handling portable UV lamps, even if it’s merely a handheld device.
Portable air purifiers play a similar role. These are mobile electronic tools that decontaminate the air in your immediate environs. Such devices use various techniques and technologies such as ionization technology, ozone production systems, and HEPA filtration.
Image Alt tag: Portable UV lamp
With the emergence and prevalence of the coronavirus, more individuals seek reliable and portable sanitization solutions such as portable UV lamps and mobile air purifiers. Such lights have multiple germicidal uses, for instance, during travel, where people can disinfect a hotel wardrobe and other surfaces.
Nowadays, there are various digital decontamination solutions available online and at physical locations. However, many individuals struggle to find the best chargeable sterilization device.
Below is a comprehensive guide to identifying the best portable UV lamp or air purifier.
The Best Portable Disinfecting UV Lamps and Their Features
A portable germicidal ultraviolet lamp releases special light that destroys or inactivates microbes. Ultraviolet light achieves this by affecting the microorganism’s DNA, which in turn disrupts regular cellular activity.
Such handheld tools come in various sizes and designs, and can serve many purposes. Below are the top benefits of a disinfecting UV stick:
1. The Many Uses of a Portable UV Lamp
Disease-causing pathogens are virtually everywhere. When it comes to sterilizing certain areas such as the toilet, office, and home, the portable UV lamp is a dependable and versatile device.
Since you need to hold the device over the target area or item for a few seconds, you can use the wand sterilizer for various uses.
Some of the items, areas, and surfaces you can sterilize using a chargeable UV lamp include:
● Sterilize Kid’s Toys
Kids always encounter germs because they often have no inhibitions when playing, especially infants. Keeping your kids” wears, toys, and other products clean and sterile can reduce their chances of contracting a bacterial or viral infection.
Mobile UV sterilizers are hassle-free and yet very effective disinfection tools that allow you to decontaminate children’s products quickly.
● Disinfect Your Car’s Fabrics
For most people, cars serve as a breeding ground for disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria. It’s not always about the cleanliness of the automobile. A car may be clean, but bacteria may be thriving on the seats or dashboard area.
A handheld UV stick can help you sterilize a car’s interior after a thorough cleaning, particularly seats, which are known to contain millions of bacteria.
● Sanitize Household Electronics and Surfaces
Commonly used electronic appliances and devices can carry harmful pathogens if not cleaned and disinfected regularly.
Liquid-based disinfectants can result in a short circuit that can damage or destroy house appliances and electronic devices like personal computers. Instead of using a liquid-based disinfectant, it might be better to try a portable handheld UV stick.
The germicidal disinfecting lamp is also crucial for sterilizing kitchen and bathroom areas. These places usually contain many pathogens, and using a mobile UV stick is a quick way to ensure surfaces are germ-free.
● Sterilize Pet Areas
Pets are fun and serve many purposes in homes. However, pets can also expose you to pathogens, such as bacteria. Living with a pet demands high sanitization levels, and a UV sanitizer can be a reliable disinfection solution.
You can use the UV stick to decontaminate your pet’s toys or room to safeguard their health as well as yours.
2. Disinfect in a Short Time
Apart from effective sterilization, an ideal solution should also conduct decontamination in a matter of seconds. After extensive clinical studies and trials, it has been found that portable rechargeable UV lamps can eradicate bacteria within 20 seconds, which is quite fast
3. It Works Automatically
As mentioned earlier, UV light can injure humans, particularly on the skin and eyes. The last thing any user wants is to get blinded or affected by their sterilizer stick. Modern portable UV lamps come with an autonomous direction sensor and switch.
When you switch on your UV stick, it will automatically detect the orientation and angle of motion. If the system detects that the lamp is facing upwards, it will spontaneously switch off the UV light until it is faced downwards.
4. Easy to Use and Carry
Although various manufacturers have different shapes and variants for their UV products, it would be best to pick a device with optimal portability and weight. A chargeable UV wand should not be bulky since most users prefer to travel with them.
Ideally, a portable UV lamp should be light, compact, and have a comfortable handle. It should also have a suitable shape that allows the device to stand independently on a flat surface.
The lamp’s surface material should be non-absorbent and easy to clean. Finally, the battery compartment should put somewhere strategic, where the user can place/ replace batteries with ease.
Depending on your preference, it is feasible to procure a portable UV lamp with an in-built battery pack. Such a device only requires frequent charging, and you don’t have to worry about replacing batteries.
What Is an Air Purifier, And Why Is It Essential?
An air purifier is a technology-driven device that eliminates toxins, pollutants, and even dust particles from atmospheric air. These air cleaners come in various designs and have diverse techniques for cleaning the air around you.
Air purifiers can release negative air ions into an indoor atmosphere, which combines airborne small particle pollutants, increasing their atomic density. The now heavy contaminants will be more affected by gravity and will drop down, where they can be easily removed by vacuuming.
Additionally, Air purification devices can use fans and air filtration techniques to capture air contaminants. Such portable purifiers also eliminate nasty smells or smoke in the vicinity.
Medical evidence further indicates that inhaling air contaminants such as tropospheric ozone or Sulphur dioxide can predispose you to cardiovascular ailments. These findings mean that air pollutants are affecting the health and lives of millions of people globally.
To make things worse, people who suffer from preexisting cardiovascular or respiratory ailments are believed to have a more significant risk of contracting a severe form of the killer coronavirus.
Some air purifiers work by filtering out contaminants, whereas others release high-intensity negative ions to precipitate particles and pollutants.
Nowadays, most modern premises buyers prefer purchasing a house with air purifiers integrated into their HVAC systems. If you aren’t conversant with air purifiers, here are three reasons why you need one
- Your pet’s coat may be shedding dust and hair that may be detrimental to your health.
- You may be living in a busy, populated area where air quality is significantly poor.
- You may be a smoker or stay with one and maybe self-conscious about your health.
An optimal portable air purifier should come with a long-lasting battery pack as well as a user-friendly control interface. Such digital decontamination solutions should ideally have HEPA filters that ensure the devices have an extremely high air purification efficiency (99.97%).
Conclusion:
It’s important to mind the air you take in. If you can make it safer then why not leverage these convenient home technologies.
Avoiding disease-causing pathogens is one of the top ways of preventing illness and diseases. You can easily disinfect office and household items and surfaces using a handheld portable UV lamp that uses EMR to inactivate or destroy bacteria and viruses.