# UV Lights To Kill Germs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 8, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380 "2020-04-08T21:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/21 "2020-04-09T17:24:35Z")
I looked for a UV device and the first thing that came up was a device which disinfected a baby’s pacifier. It said, “Put the pacifier in for 60 seconds”. I had been hoping to buy a light that I could just shine across the whole kitchen counter. But if I have to sit there for 60 seconds at each position, it would probably take me a good hour to do the whole kitchen - including getting all the different angles on things - all while trying to hold the light stable. Didn’t seem worth it versus a bottle of Lysol. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/22 "2020-04-09T18:37:56Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I looked for a UV device and the first thing that came up was a device which disinfected a baby’s pacifier. It said, “Put the pacifier in for 60 seconds”. I had been hoping to buy a light that I could just shine across the whole kitchen counter. But if I have to sit there for 60 seconds at each position, it would probably take me a good hour to do the whole kitchen - including getting all the different angles on things - all while trying to hold the light stable. > > Didn’t seem worth it versus a bottle of Lysol. I’d be will to bet it doesn’t work for shit, either. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/23 "2020-04-09T21:28:01Z")
I know the hand wands work to a degree. A friend had one and I wanded a plant (less than 10 seconds) at the office and the part that got the light starting dying by the next day. I was basically thinking things like cell phones, where you would not want to get it wet. Some of these lights also produced ozone which may help. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/24 "2020-04-09T22:06:29Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > You wouldn’t want to inhale it, for basically the same reason you don’t want to be exposed to UV, it’s harmful, and that’s basically why they work against viruses. > > No like the OP suggests with UV, I would think one can use ozone to disinfect objects. not talking about inhaling it to get rid of viruses in the body, that would most likely injure the person’s airways at a time when the virus is infecting them. There appear to be a few articles out there that say that ozone CAN kill the coronavirus. I actually looked into ozone generators a few weeks back for a different reason (daughter moving into an apartment formerly inhabited by a chain smoker). Apparently you run them in an enclosed room, and set a timer because you do NOT want to walk into that room while the ozone concentration is high. So if you had an ozone generator, and an enclosed space to run it in, I would think it could indeed be used to sanitize things. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/25 "2020-04-09T22:36:30Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > There appear to be a few articles out there that say that ozone CAN kill the coronavirus. > > I actually looked into ozone generators a few weeks back for a different reason (daughter moving into an apartment formerly inhabited by a chain smoker). Apparently you run them in an enclosed room, and set a timer because you do NOT want to walk into that room while the ozone concentration is high. > > So if you had an ozone generator, and an enclosed space to run it in, I would think it could indeed be used to sanitize things. I do have one, and why I asked. It does wonders for such odors. The general rule is to remove the 3 P’s (People, plants and pets) from the room. I got it because our vacation house sometimes gets ‘funky’. At this time when I have to go shopping, I have been throwing it in the trunk when I get home with the shopping bags from the supermarket letting it run a bit, then retrieving the bags later, opening the trunk outside does quickly remove any remaining ozone. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/26 "2020-04-09T23:10:50Z")
I saw this plan to make your own UV disinfecting box: > **[Build a DIY UV-C Sterilization Cabinet to Fight Covid-19](https://makezine.com/projects/build-a-diy-uv-c-sterilization-cabinet-to-fight-covid-19/)** > > With shortages due to Covid-19, sterilization for reuse is very important. They recommend 30 minutes _per side_ in the box for a mask. So 60 minutes total. ---
**Author:** ![putnam6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/putnam6/32/4082_2.png) [@putnam6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/putnam6)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/27 "2020-04-10T07:58:22Z")
I got a UV3 light when my dad was going through chemo treatments as per our doctor for extreme sterilization protocols 5-6 years ago it zaps everything in about 15 minutes exposure. It will give you sunburn and fuck up your eyes don’t look directly into it, we put it in rooms for 20 minutes and leave while it’s on and make sure you have good ventilation. UV3 light penetrates the viruses scrambles their DNA. Now we zap everything that comes in the house for at least 20 minutes mail, groceries, etc, and rotate through and hit the rooms. We have out 80-year-old Mom with us and are being extra careful. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/28 "2020-04-10T16:03:15Z")
> [@putnam6](#): > > I got a UV3 light when my dad was going through chemo treatments as per our doctor for extreme sterilization protocols 5-6 years ago > > it zaps everything in about 15 minutes exposure. It will give you sunburn and fuck up your eyes don’t look directly into it, we put it in rooms for 20 minutes and leave while it’s on and make sure you have good ventilation. UV3 light penetrates the viruses scrambles their DNA. > > Now we zap everything that comes in the house for at least 20 minutes mail, groceries, etc, and rotate through and hit the rooms. We have out 80-year-old Mom with us and are being extra careful. Do you have a reputable product name, website or something? This is a rabbit hole I’ve been down before and don’t want to go down again unless I have better directions. ---
**Author:** ![putnam6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/putnam6/32/4082_2.png) [@putnam6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/putnam6)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380/29 "2020-04-13T01:22:25Z")
Below are some of the links I’ve looked into also for more research Google “Does UV3 light kill viruses?” Make sure you get the right bulb that has the right wavelength… not all of them have this. Ours came with detailed instructions for use and precautions. I’ll try and see if I can find it again online and add the link to the one we got later. [https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180212/can-uv-light-be-used-to-kill-airborne-flu-virus-#2](https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180212/can-uv-light-be-used-to-kill-airborne-flu-virus-#2) PLUS [https://www.americanultraviolet.com/uv-germicidal-solutions/faq-germicidal.cfml](https://www.americanultraviolet.com/uv-germicidal-solutions/faq-germicidal.cfml) [https://www.uvo3.co.uk/](https://www.uvo3.co.uk/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-lights-to-kill-germs/851380.md?page=1)