I have several blacklight bulbs (I create fluorescent art) and I’m wondering: can I use them to clean my mail and shoes and things of COVID-19?
Nope. The UV used to sterilize things is UV-C, (in the area of 240-280 nm wavelength) which is dangerous to humans and any other living thing as it damages DNA.
Your backlights for art are UV-A range, probably a type known as BLB or “blacklight-blue” which is about 350-370 nm.
Dang. Thanks.
They sell handheld UV-C sterilizing wands on Amazon, they’re not terribly expensive.
The amount of UV exposure required to sterilize is quite high - I suspect that any non-industrial source is going to be too weak to be very effective.
You can take the filtering glass envelope off a std. Mercury vapor street-light type lamp, and have a handy, Strong source of 185nm UVC. I use such a rig to catalyze epoxy resin curing. It is Not a lamp you want to look at. It Will burn spots in your retinas.