I have known about UV Light Wands for a while now and have even heard the claims made about killing bacteria and other microorganisms. So, I bought a couple of the more popular and respected wands and put them to our tests. The first thing I noticed was the claims that were made on the packaging. The manufacturers claims that they can prove that the wands kill 99% of microorganisms with the wands. But then I also noticed the amount of time it takes to get the results they themselves claim.
For example, for the wand to be effective in killing bacteria on a keyboard it requires 8 seconds of UV light exposure. You might not think that 8 seconds is significant, but when I can sanitize a keyboard in 2 seconds with a microfiber rag and disinfectant (and I can prove it with our tests), then I am saving 6 seconds. And we aren’t just talking about keyboards, what about toilet seats, desktops, door knobs, etc. So if it takes me 4 times the amount of time it usually takes me to sanitize to use a UV Light Wand, do you honestly think that a cleaning company claiming they use UV Light Wands are spending 4 times the normal time to make sure they use the wands correctly?
The answer is NO. IF they are using the wands they claim to use, rest assured they are not giving the wands the dwell time on the surface it needs to get the desired results. Our own tests using a luminometer show that the UV light wands do not work as good or as fast as a simple disinfectant with a microfiber rag. However, there may be a place for UV light wands in the office. There are some surfaces that are difficult to clean with a disinfectant and microfiber rag, and in those specific situations a UV light wand could come in handy. We would be happy to provide our clients with a UV light if they would like to use the UV light to disinfect those hard to reach or clean surfaces.
