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Azza ☠ Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:48pm
Do UV Lights actually clean and disinfect?
Does anyone know about those smart lights with a cleaning function?

The smart light can change colours right and it turns purple with a UVC light to "clean" the room from pathogens, bacteria and viruses.

You would have areas in the room which might be under shade, so it can't reach those spots unless you have multiple UVC lights around. Still won't reach under the bed, etc.

Then how long would you need to run it, in which time it should be a dark room and you need to avoid looking at the light yourself or have it prolonged on your skin. So leave the room at night?

Could it kill off bugs, perhaps mosquitoes, or would they remain unaffected?

Would it really prevent Covid or you getting a cold/flu virus, when it's just one room of the entire house and you would head on outside too, etc?

I'm curious to know if that's a gimmick or not?
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Showing 1-15 of 25 comments
Angel Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:51pm 
UV light is known to kill certain bacterias (viruses and protozoa). However it won't kill off all bad bacteria and shouldn't be exclusively used to disinfect waters. I have UV lights on my smart toilets but wouldn't rely on it for drinking water as some bacteria has a wall/coat that is not penetrable by UV lights.
Last edited by Angel; Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:52pm
Morkonan Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:55pm 
Originally posted by Azza ☠:
...
I'm curious to know if that's a gimmick or not?

For simple UV lights, they won't do diddly.

For clean-room quality UVC, yes. (UV A and B are what you can normally experience at surface level on Earth. UV-C doesn't usually make contact with the ground (IIRC).)

https://www.usa.lighting.philips.com/application-areas/specialist-applications/uv-disinfection

Yes, UV-C is bad news mojo and will kill bacteria. It also requires a room empty of people and eyeballs exposed to it - It is not for casual, unmonitored, unrestricted use.
Last edited by Morkonan; Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:56pm
For assistance perhaps read the info available on UV lighting in the Koi Carp keeping industry.
Azza ☠ Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:58pm 
Originally posted by Angel:
UV light is known to kill certain bacterias (viruses and protozoa). However it won't kill off all bad bacteria and shouldn't be exclusively used to disinfect waters. I have UV lights on my smart toilets but wouldn't rely on it for drinking water as some bacteria has a wall/coat that is not penetrable by UV lights.

Ahh, that makes logical sense... using it for a bathroom / toilet.
Voroff Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:59pm 
Originally posted by Angel:
(..)However it won't kill off all bad bacteria and shouldn't be exclusively used to disinfect waters. (...)
And that's a why kelp in aquariums is a problem even with UVs, because they grow out of it.

Others caveats : UV is an energetic mutagen, potentially fostering more version of the thing you may try to gib. And as it's energy, it wont do a thing against some things like shrooms/mycosis and the aforementionned kelps.

Second to last : once the bad bacteries (and the good ones) are dead, they are dead biomass ready to be consumed by the next things that grow. And sh!t grows fast. It's exactly the same problem as with alcoholic gel : you're making a perfect breeding ground for the next generation if you dont even wipe after.

Last : UVs are bad for eyesight and the skin at large. Abusing of it is bad, at least consider donning spec glasses or something.
Triple G Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:00pm 
You´d need to have it on the whole night to stay as clean and healthy as possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIvPzngWyBY
Azza ☠ Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:02pm 
Originally posted by Plaid:
Originally posted by Morkonan:

For simple UV lights, they won't do diddly.

For clean-room quality UVC, yes. (UV A and B are what you can normally experience at surface level on Earth. UV-C doesn't usually make contact with the ground (IIRC).)

https://www.usa.lighting.philips.com/application-areas/specialist-applications/uv-disinfection

Yes, UV-C is bad news mojo and will kill bacteria. It also requires a room empty of people and eyeballs exposed to it - It is not for casual, unmonitored, unrestricted use.
Yeah, I remember hearing about that early on in the covid hysteria. Someone was showing different ways to disinfect things, like ozone and UV light. Things that can't really be sprayed or gotten wet.

Trump did tell us that we could insert UV light and disinfectants in ourselves to treat Covid! Everything else must be "fake news".

Sorry, I can't help myself... It's a New Zealand kiwi thing to use dark satire to address the most stupid and illogical. Over and out #NZHellHole (that tag is seriously funny too btw)
Last edited by Azza ☠; Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:03pm
Azza ☠ Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:04pm 
Originally posted by Voroff:
Originally posted by Angel:
(..)However it won't kill off all bad bacteria and shouldn't be exclusively used to disinfect waters. (...)
And that's a why kelp in aquariums is a problem even with UVs, because they grow out of it.

Others caveats : UV is an energetic mutagen, potentially fostering more version of the thing you may try to gib. And as it's energy, it wont do a thing against some things like shrooms/mycosis and the aforementionned kelps.

Second to last : once the bad bacteries (and the good ones) are dead, they are dead biomass ready to be consumed by the next things that grow. And sh!t grows fast. It's exactly the same problem as with alcoholic gel : you're making a perfect breeding ground for the next generation if you dont even wipe after.

Last : UVs are bad for eyesight and the skin at large. Abusing of it is bad, at least consider donning spec glasses or something.

Good points. It's why I questioned it.
Xero_Daxter Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:15pm 
I’m gonna invent hand sanitizer that kills 100 percent of germs.
Azza ☠ Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:18pm 
Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:
I’m gonna invent hand sanitizer that kills 100 percent of germs.

We will call it alcohol!

however, for legal sake, we will say it kills 99.9% of germs, so there's always buffer exception if it misses something and they can't sue us.
Stranger Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:22pm 
Originally posted by Azza ☠:
Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:
I’m gonna invent hand sanitizer that kills 100 percent of germs.

We will call it alcohol!

however, for legal sake, we will say it kills 99.9% of germs, so there's always buffer exception if it misses something and they can't sue us.

you're a germ and if it was 100% effective it would simply remove your hands from existence.
vkobe Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:23pm 
yes it kill life form

ony plant have resistance against uv and benefit from that
Originally posted by Angel:
UV light is known to kill certain bacterias (viruses and protozoa). However it won't kill off all bad bacteria and shouldn't be exclusively used to disinfect waters. I have UV lights on my smart toilets but wouldn't rely on it for drinking water as some bacteria has a wall/coat that is not penetrable by UV lights.
I just bought a smart device that let's me flush my toilet using an app on my phone.
The only downside is I can't be at work and flush the toilet as the device and my phone has to be on the same network.
Last edited by ↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect; Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:28pm
Azza ☠ Mar 7, 2024 @ 3:38pm 
Originally posted by Stranger:
Originally posted by Azza ☠:

We will call it alcohol!

however, for legal sake, we will say it kills 99.9% of germs, so there's always buffer exception if it misses something and they can't sue us.

you're a germ and if it was 100% effective it would simply remove your hands from existence.

I'm actually afraid if I was in the same room as it, it would wipe me out or at least my skin and eyes.
Originally posted by Azza ☠:
Originally posted by Stranger:

you're a germ and if it was 100% effective it would simply remove your hands from existence.

I'm actually afraid if I was in the same room as it, it would wipe me out or at least my skin and eyes.
They can cause skin cancer.
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All Discussions > Steam Forums > Off Topic > Topic Details
Date Posted: Mar 7, 2024 @ 2:48pm
Posts: 25