Very interesting. Glad to see a real experiment with one of these. My wife has been using one of these for her phone, badge, pens etc after each shift at the hospital. Glad to see it's fairly effective.
yeah, obviously not 100% effective but does seem to be an improvement at least. I would be curious to see what the $60,000 thing that we use in our patient rooms does.
We use 70% alcohol wipes we get from my wife’s job and clean the phones thoroughly dialy and it won’t ruin your phone screen like Lysol or Clorox wipes will. I’m not gonna trust a electronic device with my families life.
I'm shocked! They actually work! Essentially, you'd just need to run two cycles per device: One cycle with a smartphone front facing upward, and then a second cycle with the back of the phone facing upward. Flipping it like a pancake. This is perfect. Thank you so much for taking a scientific method to testing whether these devices worked!
In between those two, you need to run it empty one cycle to decontaminate the surface the backside was touching, namely the bottom Otherwise you just contaminated the recently decontaminated front side of the phone. So basically, in about ten minutes and with 3 steps, it's done! Edit: w.hen you take the phone out after the first cycle, you put the phone as is on a paper towel etc... and cover the clean upfront with something clean while waiting the device to decontaminate itself.
I appreciate the science for this! I do wonder though if leaving the petri dishes in a non-sterile environment could have affected the results. I don't think it's out of the question that some bacteria living in water droplets in the air could have penetrated into the petri dishes. There's a reason in the lab petri dishes are kept in a controlled environment, usually an oven-like device.
Exactly the post I made, my instructions said to flip over for fully clean. I found one on clearance for $10, mine doesn't have the fancy top that does wireless charging. So if people are interested they do work and are down to $10 at Walmart the brand is Phonespa
@@darleneminor1087 Yes! I just bought the Sharper Image brand one at Walmart for $17. I wonder why all of these dropped so much in prices? 🤔 Does yours smell like ozone or something after you’re done sanitizing it?
@@arthurmead5341 like an electronic smell? Yeah I read up that that’s ozone it produces and totally normal. It goes away off your phone after a little bit but I was worried at first lol
The model he is using works as proven but as of lately, there are a lot of FAKE UV-C bulbs being used that do not work at all. Beware, do the research. (here on RUclips)
Beware, just because the one SnareMan tested works, it doesn't mean they all work, sorry to be a downer but when your health is counting on it, be sure......
I have a similar type of device manufactured by Lumin specifically for CPAP accessory cleaning. The device has a larger chamber which is mirrored on the inside and includes a clear stand which keeps any articles raised up so the UV light can shine all over for the 5min cycle. Admittedly this device is more expensive (about $250CAD) but because of the larger capacity allows for more varied sterilization (around the size of a shoe box). Additionally, because it was sold for CPAP sterilization purposes the cost is partially covered by health insurance.
I think this one is "Near UV"(405 nm) which is enough to inactivate diverse types of bacteria. This is also the type of light present on most "UV Led sanitizers" online. Actual UVC bulbs are expensive and uses quartz glass in contrast to plastic where "UVC LEDs" use.
Would have been nice if you also had a "control" petri dish that you exposed to the open air for as long as you did with the other plates. Also would have been nice if the swabbing was done in front of a flow hood. But thanks for the effort, seemed like pretty solid evidence that it works at least to some extent.
@@SnareMan As a reference check out the RUclips vid "Phone Soap Tested on Discovery Channel" their results were pretty amazing (different phone cleaner though than the one you tested)
just a tip! if you wrap the bottom, top and sides inside the phone cleaner with a reflective material, (aluminum foil, steel, foil tape) it would increase the coverage of the UV light because it will bounce back all around the refelctive material thereby increasing disinfection coverage. and another thing is to put some small anti-slip rubbery feet that sticks, you can stick in in the bottom part to elevate the phone and allowing more reflected UV light to penetrate at the back of the phone.
I know this comment is old but I’m just seeing this video. So my question is wouldn’t the aluminum foil block some of the uv because it’s on top and bottom of where the light comes from?
That's really bad for your phone. I did that for a year because of coronavirus and now my phone is broken and I'm so sad about it. That's why I'm buying one of these now for my new phone.
@@jamesearlcash7725 I had both of those and after a year of sanitizing my phone every day when I got back from outside, it still broke. Learn from my mistake and just buy Phone Soap. It's expensive but it's still cheaper than buying a new phone.
Well don’t Clorox wipes have some really strong chemicals? I’ve only heard people recommend 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes to clean tech products. Those don’t harm phones at all. In fact I’ve used the alcohol wipes for years without damaging my phone.
Thanks for this video. I think many people would agree by now that UV cleaners work in general, but since there are so many of them out on the market now, the bigger questions at this point are - does a particular version work (i.e. does it have the right wavelengths, how strong is the light how much exposure time is effective enough for the device's intensity? Also, the ozone generator is a big plus, which I thought you should've mentioned more, as not too many other UV cleaners include that feature.
405nm is enough to inactivate bacteria, keyword "Bacteria". Most cheap "UV Sanitizers" have this. Germicidal UV (UVC) on the other hand, can inactivate viruses and are more expensive and requires a quartz glass to work.
Hey Jimmy!! Some how I missed this comment. It was great meeting you! Not sure I'm worthy of making someone star struck, but thanks for the vote of confidence. :-)
Hello I’m still watching your video now and I can tell you that you did strike me as a scientist and even a very intelligent person before you put the lab coat on. I appreciate your review I ran across one of these in a box at the checkout aisle and was unsure if this was even a thing.
The uv sanitizer box I bought has 10 minute and 30 minute cycles. So far, I've been using 10 minutes on each side of my items but I'm sure the 30 minute cycle will be more handy when I'm out longer during the day.
I'd be curious to see a test to determine how frequently you'd have to use this to be effective. For example would once daily make a big difference, or is the average phone just as contaminated 5 minutes after you use it again.
Thanks for the video. All of them had bacteria remaining. The question though isn't how much can it clean, but how much (left) is enough to cause issues? A single blueberry in a bag that is covered in mold is enough to spread through the whole bag. If I wash my hands with water v. water & soap will water alone be adquate? Many comments say it works - I say it definitely is killing some bacteria (and in the scenario at 7:03 did something really weird) but as per other articles from scientists/professors I have read - the consumer units are inadequate to really do the job properly and that was demonstrated here. IMO (as per Breaking Bad) "Half Measures"/false hope. Thumbs up because you provided empirical evidence instead of a "what's up gang here is my review of something I know nothing about". I bought an S20 FE that comes with the Fit 2 watch or their UV cleaner with charger. The watch is so so and may have limited use. The UV cleaner alone is not compelling but the charger piece does offer a longer life usage.
It's completely normal that some level of bacterial remains. The Phonesoap doesn't make any claims about sterility, hence the "99.99%". The 99.99% is a marketing claim to say that the device kills ALMOST all bacteria. Snareman's micro tests bare this out. Purell hand sanitizer makes the same claim, but we don't let that stop us from using it. What you're paying for in this case are technology and convenience. If you find more peace of mind wiping your phone down with an alcohol wipe instead, go for it. But that won't eliminate 100% of all bacteria on the object you're cleaning. I like the convenience of dropping my phone into a box for 3 - 10 minutes and being done with it. It's nearly impossible to produce a 100% sterile object in an open environment.
Great test. Lots of people forgot to sanitize both sides of the phone. With the Samsung uv charger it takes 2x 10 mins. Most of the time i just use a cloth and disinfectant. Especially when i am at the gym i get a stray and cloth.
I have a uv nail lamp and I'm wondering if that would work instead of buying a box. I realise the uv light from a nail lamp is spread a bit more since it's an open space but it could still be quite close to the phone. Thank you for testing the box it does make me more confident about buying a box if the lamp doesn't work!
Thank you @SnareMan for the detailed video! Im concerned about safety and long term UVC leakage/exposure from the device, since I live in a small studio apartment.
Amazing 👏 👏You should now test the Simple Human UV phone cleaner. That one only takes 30 seconds to clean. Those results would really be interesting considering how fast it cleans it.
you like a different version of beakman's world guy.. anybody know that science show back in the 90s? Anyway, subscribed immediately, good balance of fun and knowledge, no complaints on that. BTW, i'm on the UV thing and this is helpful. I got one from a local phone app seller here in asia, pretty much like you Amazon in the US. I'll do my test as well to see if it really works or not. But I really hope it does, and I already think it does, but we need to be certain! heck!
I’m a Biomedical scientist and have a UVC disinfection box to clean my nail art tools, but I’m so picky that I turn the items and make them go through a cycle on each side because I thought the light couldn’t go through and they would not be disinfected.
I did cell biology and now I am full time photographer. When you did your agar plate I had so many memories come back. Lolz 🤣 now I want to try doing different swabs on soft agar plates. Really missing the lab 🧫 🤣🤣🤣
I've heard part of the problem with those box ones are the lights are not directly in contact because it's on the sides and not directly over the light
Yes, so does mine. It makes sense to flip it as the reverse side has no scope of any exposure. In fact, after we are done with both side, we should probably do a free run so the inside can sanitize itself.
I'm more interested in the fact that we are exposed to that amount of bacteria every minute of the day. I'm curious what type of bacteria it may be. If it changes from person to person. Etc.
Is this the same technology used for sanitizing water? I'm thinking of those water sanitizing lights that backpackers use to sanitize surface water for consumption.
some phones have different finishes on back as on front, the smooth surface holds less bacteria, the matte/textured finish holds more bacteria, so perhaps SnareMan's phone back is more matte finish or more textured.
Can you please test the safe & healthy UV wands? I have two and they use conventional glass tubes and i'd like to know if they really work or if they are just snake oil. I might see if the inverter inside can power a CFL bulb (inverter in CFL removed)
Could you please measure these results against just straight up washing your phone with soap? I know a lot of people are too scared to use soap and water on their phone but its pretty easy and I've never had an issue, even with super cheap phones that have gaps or open cracks.
@@lalew2 I wanted to reach my arm in there to record some video but they told me I wasn't allowed while it was going. The other problem is you never know when one of these rooms is going to come up so you would just have to have Petri dishes with you all the time. I'd still be curious to try it though
I'm a bit late to say this, but those giant hospital UV robots go through FDA testing and it's really extensive. They definitely work! But yeah, having a RUclips test video would be great to watch, too. :)
Thank you @SnareMan! I'm curious to know the bacteria types and which responded more favorably to UVC sanitization. Also, I've seen articles claiming the higher wavelengths of UVC, such as the 254 nms, are harmful to the eyes and skin. Does this unit have a barrier that prevents the wavelengths from extending beyond the capsule?
Hi Maggie. 😀 I'm not sure what type of bacteria the various colonies that grew were. Yes, I believe the UV light can be harmful to your eyes. The light on this one automatically shuts off when you open it and turns back on when you close it as I showed in the video.
Thanks for doing this! It’s so gross to me how people just casually bring their phones and keys everywhere and then eat food and go to bed with all that bacteria
Great job. For hour next one, could you give a shot at testing the effectiveness of using hand sanitizer on public toilets? It seems like every public bathroom has a hand sanitizer dispenser nowadays. Is it doing me any good to put it on toilet paper and wipe down the seat ahead of time?
Mines had a smell after use. I purchased mines at Home Depot the sharper image for $5.32 today. Mines says turn over after each cycle. It takes 6 minutes per cycle.
To be fair, when you swabbed the petri dishes, they should have been done in a sterile environment so we can't really discount contamination when you see growth in the post phone sterilizer sections.
I think it's a great idea but there's a lot of product claiming to be doing this and only using UV black light bulbs raking in the dough. Then there's the safety aspect of it since bulbs can be acquired by people who don't know what they're doing.
@@luxaholicanonymous2577 I don't know. Maybe. I've had it on a few phones, but on my last few I left whatever screen protector Samsung had on the phone until a few month in when it got scratched and then just took it off and the phones have held up surprisingly well.
I’ve got a few articles regarding UVCLED technology advancement that i’ve written geared mostly towards the hobbyist and semiprofessional electronics community… I could paste them below if anyone is interested but they are quite lengthy and boring UV LEDs emit an average of 5 -15MW of optical output power per Chip. That’s about 1% the sanitizing and optical power of a small $10 handheld UVC mercury vapor lamp. So not very efficient at all unless you have a large array. BUT!!!... UVC technology is evolving so quickly that higher output powers will be achieved FAST. There are already 50 and 75 mW chips on the market… And most of the professional sanitizers that utilize UVC LEDS will use a large array of those chips. But it won’t be long… And you’ll be able to buy a small handheld flashlight capable of putting out 1000mW of optical power utilizing a UVCLED. Which is honestly pretty scary but also really cool for guys like myself who enjoy UV led and laser technology! And a small flashlight such as that would absolutely destroy anything biological… From germs… Skin… Even eyeballs! But if the proper care was used it would be invaluable!
Very intresting. I wipe down the phone with 4 tbsp of clorox into 32 oz. Water. I spray the phone down after being in high risk areas. Would be intresting to do that comparison. Would a phone wiped down with podium hyperclorite work better or just as well since most people have it and doesn't hurt the phone. Use same dishes, etc.. Thoughts?
Did you change gloves before touching the “sanitized” phone? I remember working in a microbiology lab and having to swab agar plates…had to do it in such a particular way 😝
the phone soap link you have in your bio looks much smaller than the product you tested. where can i find the product you tested here? i want to put my glasses in it also and the phone specific ones seem too small.
I own a similar UV box for 2 years, but I was skeptical. I tried to convince myself that it works, but I was really having some doubts. Why was I skeptical? I always believed that the fluorescent tube version was a real working sanitizer, while the 5v powered led version was a gimmicky, try to make you feel good device, but does not actually work. I did not have the ability to test or prove it myself. So, for that past 2 years, I really had not have much faith in this kind of device.
Does it really work, cross contamination everytime, Hand/Knob/etc... You clean, and 5 minutes later its back to normale... Would love to see this, you clean it, then how much time it take to be full of batteria again... pretty sure its quick! Does it work, pretty sure yes, but does it work alone, not so...
I just bought one today from CVS but mine's only has one small UV light bulb on top but the instructions does say to flip over the item it has a settings of 5 minutes 10 minutes and 30 minutes
The only question now is there are a flood of products out there. Some of them cheaper. I wonder if the cheaper ones on Amazon or other brands do a good job. $50 might seem like a lot and some other products are sold for like $20 to $40. Another thing is that medical UV light seems to best but those cost a lot more. I also read that the UV light needs to emit a certain wavelength to prevent bacteria growth. In particular, the wavelength of 264 nm is incredibly impressive at killing germs, viruses and bacteria. Fortunately, UV-C radiation can pass through air without creating ozone, so UV-C lamps can be used in air to disinfect surfaces.
I mean, if it gets people who wouldn’t normally take the time to clean their phone and other items, then good to it. Some people say “just use alcohol wipes” but people are more likely to use a cool little tanning bed for your phone than rip open an alcohol sheet every day. So even if it’s a little less effective, people would be more likely to use it after they come home, than otherwise. I have alcohol sheets, should I use them on my phone? Probably, do I? No. It’s more convenient in a way, plus you can clean anything in it if you want to.
This particular one is $30 on Amazon +$20 S&H. I’m looking for one that ships Prime so it’s cheaper but I’m worried if others work as well as this model and want to steer clear of fakes. Is there another reliable one you can recommend or at least offer some pointers on what features a case should have to make sure it’s one that is a trustworthy. I’m primarily using it for masks.
Check here on YOUTube, other people do the same kind of tests on other models - I think there's a test on "PhoneSoap" models, they're more expensive but I think they pass the test.
That's a pretty cool test. I wonder if you had a 1/4" piece of glass sitting under the phone if that would allow enough light to get to the bottom side of the phone?
@@SnareMan 'Germicidal' light is UVC which these lamps claim, ozone is UVV which is in a separate category. One lamp can't produce both UVC AND UVV light...are there two different kind of lamps in the unit? Also, ozone can be problematic with how it effects surfaces, and is not safe to be used where it can be inhaled. Enjoyed the video, I was waiting for info like this.
@@scoutyd1885 Thanks. I'm not sure if there is more than 1 type of light, but I'd assume so if they are saying it puts out both the UVC and UVV. I can definitely smell the ozone if I open it afterwards if I get close to it. I would imagine it only produces a small amount of ozone though so it would likely diffuse pretty quickly into the environment.
Some of the more expensive ones have bumps on the bottom that allow light to reach bottom of phone. Some have reflective foil-like on bottom and sides - but not sure reflection works.
Very interesting. Glad to see a real experiment with one of these. My wife has been using one of these for her phone, badge, pens etc after each shift at the hospital. Glad to see it's fairly effective.
she'd still get covid though
yeah, obviously not 100% effective but does seem to be an improvement at least. I would be curious to see what the $60,000 thing that we use in our patient rooms does.
@@Charok1 True she can get covid. But doing everything you can do is always smart.
@@arcflashed I hope she does not get it.
We use 70% alcohol wipes we get from my wife’s job and clean the phones thoroughly dialy and it won’t ruin your phone screen like Lysol or Clorox wipes will. I’m not gonna trust a electronic device with my families life.
I'm shocked! They actually work! Essentially, you'd just need to run two cycles per device: One cycle with a smartphone front facing upward, and then a second cycle with the back of the phone facing upward. Flipping it like a pancake. This is perfect. Thank you so much for taking a scientific method to testing whether these devices worked!
I know. I was a little surprised too. it was a fun experiment to do.
In between those two, you need to run it empty one cycle to decontaminate the surface the backside was touching, namely the bottom
Otherwise you just contaminated the recently decontaminated front side of the phone.
So basically, in about ten minutes and with 3 steps, it's done!
Edit: w.hen you take the phone out after the first cycle, you put the phone as is on a paper towel etc... and cover the clean upfront with something clean while waiting the device to decontaminate itself.
I appreciate the science for this! I do wonder though if leaving the petri dishes in a non-sterile environment could have affected the results. I don't think it's out of the question that some bacteria living in water droplets in the air could have penetrated into the petri dishes. There's a reason in the lab petri dishes are kept in a controlled environment, usually an oven-like device.
Could be, but I didn't have a hood or sterile environment at home
The instructions that came with it recommended flipping over and running a second cycle to get both sides
Exactly the post I made, my instructions said to flip over for fully clean. I found one on clearance for $10, mine doesn't have the fancy top that does wireless charging. So if people are interested they do work and are down to $10 at Walmart the brand is Phonespa
@@darleneminor1087 Yes! I just bought the Sharper Image brand one at Walmart for $17. I wonder why all of these dropped so much in prices? 🤔
Does yours smell like ozone or something after you’re done sanitizing it?
@@Johnnygga mine has a burned smell when i open it
@@arthurmead5341 like an electronic smell? Yeah I read up that that’s ozone it produces and totally normal. It goes away off your phone after a little bit but I was worried at first lol
@@Johnnygga no it's like a burned plastic smell
Hi I bought a similar unit prior to Christmas & use on both phones, keys, glasses & garage remote. Thank you for confirming they do work.
You're welcome!
The model he is using works as proven but as of lately, there are a lot of FAKE UV-C bulbs being used that do not work at all. Beware, do the research. (here on RUclips)
Beware, just because the one SnareMan tested works, it doesn't mean they all work, sorry to be a downer but when your health is counting on it, be sure......
I'm so sorry to be redundant here, but it's important, some of these are just an empty box with fancy lights!!!
Thanks for this! Doing some last minute Christmas shopping and wanted to check the legitimacy of the claims prior to purchasing
You're welcome!
Get an extra one for me
I have a similar type of device manufactured by Lumin specifically for CPAP accessory cleaning. The device has a larger chamber which is mirrored on the inside and includes a clear stand which keeps any articles raised up so the UV light can shine all over for the 5min cycle. Admittedly this device is more expensive (about $250CAD) but because of the larger capacity allows for more varied sterilization (around the size of a shoe box). Additionally, because it was sold for CPAP sterilization purposes the cost is partially covered by health insurance.
I have one similarly and the instructions says to run it once on one side flip the phone and run again. That could help for sure. Awesome video!
It would likely help some, although this one said I didn't have to
Was expecting it to be a sham, but it actually works! My money wasn't wasted on the little UV device currently sitting next to me. Thanks!
Yea, it actually seems to work.
I think this one is "Near UV"(405 nm) which is enough to inactivate diverse types of bacteria. This is also the type of light present on most "UV Led sanitizers" online.
Actual UVC bulbs are expensive and uses quartz glass in contrast to plastic where "UVC LEDs" use.
Would have been nice if you also had a "control" petri dish that you exposed to the open air for as long as you did with the other plates. Also would have been nice if the swabbing was done in front of a flow hood. But thanks for the effort, seemed like pretty solid evidence that it works at least to some extent.
Yea, I agree. For some reason I didn't think of the control dish until all of the dishes were spoken for. And, I don't have a flow hood at home.
@@SnareMan As a reference check out the RUclips vid "Phone Soap Tested on Discovery Channel" their results were pretty amazing (different phone cleaner though than the one you tested)
just a tip! if you wrap the bottom, top and sides inside the phone cleaner with a reflective material, (aluminum foil, steel, foil tape) it would increase the coverage of the UV light because it will bounce back all around the refelctive material thereby increasing disinfection coverage. and another thing is to put some small anti-slip rubbery feet that sticks, you can stick in in the bottom part to elevate the phone and allowing more reflected UV light to penetrate at the back of the phone.
I know this comment is old but I’m just seeing this video. So my question is wouldn’t the aluminum foil block some of the uv because it’s on top and bottom of where the light comes from?
Would love to see how much bacteria after using a Lysol wipes on it or hand sanitizer.
That's really bad for your phone. I did that for a year because of coronavirus and now my phone is broken and I'm so sad about it. That's why I'm buying one of these now for my new phone.
@@jennifermarea8011 what if you have a case and a glass screen protector? It shouldn’t harm the phone at all.
@@jamesearlcash7725 I had both of those and after a year of sanitizing my phone every day when I got back from outside, it still broke. Learn from my mistake and just buy Phone Soap. It's expensive but it's still cheaper than buying a new phone.
@@jennifermarea8011 How can you broke your phone by just sanitizing your phone case and glass screen protector?
Well don’t Clorox wipes have some really strong chemicals? I’ve only heard people recommend 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes to clean tech products. Those don’t harm phones at all. In fact I’ve used the alcohol wipes for years without damaging my phone.
awesome vid! production quality has improved! love the science
Thanks! I'm trying to put a little more effort in to them
Thanks for this video. I think many people would agree by now that UV cleaners work in general, but since there are so many of them out on the market now, the bigger questions at this point are - does a particular version work (i.e. does it have the right wavelengths, how strong is the light how much exposure time is effective enough for the device's intensity? Also, the ozone generator is a big plus, which I thought you should've mentioned more, as not too many other UV cleaners include that feature.
405nm is enough to inactivate bacteria, keyword "Bacteria". Most cheap "UV Sanitizers" have this. Germicidal UV (UVC) on the other hand, can inactivate viruses and are more expensive and requires a quartz glass to work.
Interesting results. Also, it was great running into you at Skyline. Sorry if I seems star struck LoL
Hey Jimmy!! Some how I missed this comment. It was great meeting you! Not sure I'm worthy of making someone star struck, but thanks for the vote of confidence. :-)
Awww I wanted to see him purify the petri dishes in the UVC box.
Hello I’m still watching your video now and I can tell you that you did strike me as a scientist and even a very intelligent person before you put the lab coat on. I appreciate your review I ran across one of these in a box at the checkout aisle and was unsure if this was even a thing.
Thanks Robert!
The uv sanitizer box I bought has 10 minute and 30 minute cycles. So far, I've been using 10 minutes on each side of my items but I'm sure the 30 minute cycle will be more handy when I'm out longer during the day.
I totally needed this video! Thank you for doing it!
Glad it helped!
I'd be curious to see a test to determine how frequently you'd have to use this to be effective. For example would once daily make a big difference, or is the average phone just as contaminated 5 minutes after you use it again.
Bacterias will start to multiply as soon as you touch the phone i guess 🤷♂️
Thanks for the video. All of them had bacteria remaining. The question though isn't how much can it clean, but how much (left) is enough to cause issues? A single blueberry in a bag that is covered in mold is enough to spread through the whole bag. If I wash my hands with water v. water & soap will water alone be adquate? Many comments say it works - I say it definitely is killing some bacteria (and in the scenario at 7:03 did something really weird) but as per other articles from scientists/professors I have read - the consumer units are inadequate to really do the job properly and that was demonstrated here. IMO (as per Breaking Bad) "Half Measures"/false hope. Thumbs up because you provided empirical evidence instead of a "what's up gang here is my review of something I know nothing about". I bought an S20 FE that comes with the Fit 2 watch or their UV cleaner with charger. The watch is so so and may have limited use. The UV cleaner alone is not compelling but the charger piece does offer a longer life usage.
It's completely normal that some level of bacterial remains. The Phonesoap doesn't make any claims about sterility, hence the "99.99%". The 99.99% is a marketing claim to say that the device kills ALMOST all bacteria. Snareman's micro tests bare this out. Purell hand sanitizer makes the same claim, but we don't let that stop us from using it. What you're paying for in this case are technology and convenience. If you find more peace of mind wiping your phone down with an alcohol wipe instead, go for it. But that won't eliminate 100% of all bacteria on the object you're cleaning. I like the convenience of dropping my phone into a box for 3 - 10 minutes and being done with it. It's nearly impossible to produce a 100% sterile object in an open environment.
Started out whining about why you needed 9+ minutes. But yeah. Well done 👍!
I’d like to see a swab comparison with ten seconds of alcohol wipe down!
Thanks Aunt Tina!
Great test. Lots of people forgot to sanitize both sides of the phone. With the Samsung uv charger it takes 2x 10 mins. Most of the time i just use a cloth and disinfectant. Especially when i am at the gym i get a stray and cloth.
I had been interested in seeing how/if these worked. Thanks for sciencing it. :)
You're welcome!
I've always doubted these products but now I'm quite interested to buy it 🤔 pretty cool review
Thanks!
I have a uv nail lamp and I'm wondering if that would work instead of buying a box. I realise the uv light from a nail lamp is spread a bit more since it's an open space but it could still be quite close to the phone. Thank you for testing the box it does make me more confident about buying a box if the lamp doesn't work!
I don't know. The box also creates ozone which helps with the sterilization and I'm sure the UV nail lamp does not
Well done, very educational we used it in our Physics class when discussing UV light.
Thanks!
Wow! A really very informative review. Thank you for making this video.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Glad I got this recommended, I saw this at Home depot and wondered if it was worth the money
Glad you liked it!
Thank you @SnareMan for the detailed video! Im concerned about safety and long term UVC leakage/exposure from the device, since I live in a small studio apartment.
I don't really think it would be a problem. Just don't look at it if you're concerned about it.
Love an actual experiment based result 💜
and not some general assumption , or trust me bro sources
@@Ltkaffee I tried. 🙂
Amazing 👏 👏You should now test the Simple Human UV phone cleaner. That one only takes 30 seconds to clean. Those results would really be interesting considering how fast it cleans it.
this video was exactly what i was looking for thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching
Your not only helpful but your fun!
That’s a big sub from me man.
Thanks!!!
@@SnareMan heck yea sir.
you like a different version of beakman's world guy.. anybody know that science show back in the 90s? Anyway, subscribed immediately, good balance of fun and knowledge, no complaints on that. BTW, i'm on the UV thing and this is helpful. I got one from a local phone app seller here in asia, pretty much like you Amazon in the US. I'll do my test as well to see if it really works or not. But I really hope it does, and I already think it does, but we need to be certain! heck!
Thanks!!
I’m a Biomedical scientist and have a UVC disinfection box to clean my nail art tools, but I’m so picky that I turn the items and make them go through a cycle on each side because I thought the light couldn’t go through and they would not be disinfected.
You should be cautious about the fact that the first swabbing take has eliminated part of bacteria
How would you do it differently?
@@SnareMan you should only swab at a specific area, example only right side of the front
@@GenIus-zm3qf why?
_Very_ cool video! I would love to see how the device stacked up to a clean wipe/alcohol wipe.
Thanks! I'm working on trying to get an incubator to be able to perform more experiments.
@@SnareMan also a flame or something because without a bsl 2 containment results are pretty invalid
@@sapitron A BL-1 is plenty fine for this level of pathogen. We had a BL-2 when I was in grad school for work with HIV
This is good for eye glasses.
It says that it works better when you flip the phone after the first 10 minutes and run again for another 10 minutes.
They tell me that because of the ozone it shouldn't matter, but it does make sense
I *love* this sort of content.
Thanks!
I did cell biology and now I am full time photographer. When you did your agar plate I had so many memories come back. Lolz 🤣 now I want to try doing different swabs on soft agar plates. Really missing the lab 🧫 🤣🤣🤣
Not what i expected but great video and it does seem to actually work. Thanks!
It's not perfect at killing everything but it does definitely seemed to help
Also, just curious, what did you expect?
@@SnareMan He sadly don't answer :(
What did you expect?
No mention of ozone effects on health?
I like alcohol wipes because the physical rubbing removes the oil as well as sanitizes. They are also more portable. Science 🧪 is cool!
And they actually feel a little bit cleaner after the alcohol wipes
I once tried carrying wipes in a pocket of my 5.11 strike pants, and later found them dried out in the packaging and useless. haha.
Say byebye to your oleophobic coating on the screen if you use alcohol to wipe it
Very well done and simplified explanation thank you.
Thanks!
I've heard part of the problem with those box ones are the lights are not directly in contact because it's on the sides and not directly over the light
I thought that too, but this one doesn't have lights on all sides and seems to work. They say the ozone is what helps with that.
Thank you. This helped me make a discussion.
your supposed to flip it. so 10min each side.
That's not in the instructions and when I talked to them about the whole thing they said that ozone is what cleans underneath
I have one of these units, but different manufacturer. Their instructions say to flip it over and run another cycle.
Yes, so does mine. It makes sense to flip it as the reverse side has no scope of any exposure. In fact, after we are done with both side, we should probably do a free run so the inside can sanitize itself.
Thank you for sharing! This was very helpful and informative.
Got a free sanitizing box from GameStop has lights on top bottom sides, has a tray to elevate objects to be cleaned as well
I'm more interested in the fact that we are exposed to that amount of bacteria every minute of the day. I'm curious what type of bacteria it may be. If it changes from person to person. Etc.
Is this the same technology used for sanitizing water? I'm thinking of those water sanitizing lights that backpackers use to sanitize surface water for consumption.
i'm not sure
Ty 4 this.. Luv the clear pietre dish experiment.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching
very useful video, does this UV not kill viruses? Have you tested for Viruses?
I don't have a way to test for viruses.
Finally some REAL science. Unbiased and experimental. Letting the facts decide the truth
Sweet video , 💯 u got a new subscriber now
Thanks Mark!!
To sum up the video: 3min on each side of the phone in the sterilizer works best.
Seems like it
Some boxes would recommend running 10 minutes on both sides. Maybe that's why your back still has growth as not enough light reached the back.
Perhaps. I imagine more time and flipping over would likely kill more.
@@SnareMan 10 minutes per side should be plenty........
some phones have different finishes on back as on front, the smooth surface holds less bacteria, the matte/textured finish holds more bacteria, so perhaps SnareMan's phone back is more matte finish or more textured.
Can you please test the safe & healthy UV wands? I have two and they use conventional glass tubes and i'd like to know if they really work or if they are just snake oil. I might see if the inverter inside can power a CFL bulb (inverter in CFL removed)
Search for Big Clive's channel. He does reviews of fake UV-C sterilization products.
@@BarryPiper LOVE that channel, I watch him every day. I will mention that to him and maybe he will do a video about it.
Could you please measure these results against just straight up washing your phone with soap? I know a lot of people are too scared to use soap and water on their phone but its pretty easy and I've never had an issue, even with super cheap phones that have gaps or open cracks.
Can you swab a room pre and post UV robot and see how good that fancy pants machine is?
That would be an interesting test to do
or put the phone in the room with the uv robot
@@lalew2 I wanted to reach my arm in there to record some video but they told me I wasn't allowed while it was going. The other problem is you never know when one of these rooms is going to come up so you would just have to have Petri dishes with you all the time. I'd still be curious to try it though
I'm a bit late to say this, but those giant hospital UV robots go through FDA testing and it's really extensive. They definitely work! But yeah, having a RUclips test video would be great to watch, too. :)
Thank you @SnareMan! I'm curious to know the bacteria types and which responded more favorably to UVC sanitization. Also, I've seen articles claiming the higher wavelengths of UVC, such as the 254 nms, are harmful to the eyes and skin. Does this unit have a barrier that prevents the wavelengths from extending beyond the capsule?
Hi Maggie. 😀 I'm not sure what type of bacteria the various colonies that grew were. Yes, I believe the UV light can be harmful to your eyes. The light on this one automatically shuts off when you open it and turns back on when you close it as I showed in the video.
How to clean the uv cleaner?
Thanks for doing this! It’s so gross to me how people just casually bring their phones and keys everywhere and then eat food and go to bed with all that bacteria
Hey, stop it right now. You disgust foul beast
There were no control plates, just exposed to room air for the duration of swabbing
I know. For some reason I didn't think of that until afterwards
Very cool experiment, thank you!
You're welcome!
Great job. For hour next one, could you give a shot at testing the effectiveness of using hand sanitizer on public toilets? It seems like every public bathroom has a hand sanitizer dispenser nowadays. Is it doing me any good to put it on toilet paper and wipe down the seat ahead of time?
Mines had a smell after use. I purchased mines at Home Depot the sharper image for $5.32 today. Mines says turn over after each cycle. It takes 6 minutes per cycle.
To be fair, when you swabbed the petri dishes, they should have been done in a sterile environment so we can't really discount contamination when you see growth in the post phone sterilizer sections.
🦠How long did you let the petri dish sit to let the bacteria grow?
I forgot exactly. It was several days to a week
@@SnareMan Okay I was just wondering if it took days or minutes. Appreciate you so much for making this video!!!
@@TheRealestIdealist No problem. Yea, it's not quite that quick. Takes awhile for them to grow
I wonder if the cue tip is cleaning it somewhat
I think it's a great idea but there's a lot of product claiming to be doing this and only using UV black light bulbs raking in the dough. Then there's the safety aspect of it since bulbs can be acquired by people who don't know what they're doing.
That's why I did the experiment to see if it actually worked.
can u check those sanitizer boxes too? there are some with UV LEDs
I’ll just run alcohol wipes on my phone 😁
It works better and it's faster.
lol, same here
It can be bad for the coating on the screen though.
@@SnareMan - I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say most people have tempered glass protection.
@@luxaholicanonymous2577 I don't know. Maybe. I've had it on a few phones, but on my last few I left whatever screen protector Samsung had on the phone until a few month in when it got scratched and then just took it off and the phones have held up surprisingly well.
I’ve got a few articles regarding UVCLED technology advancement that i’ve written geared mostly towards the hobbyist and semiprofessional electronics community… I could paste them below if anyone is interested but they are quite lengthy and boring
UV LEDs emit an average of 5 -15MW of optical output power per Chip. That’s about 1% the sanitizing and optical power of a small $10 handheld UVC mercury vapor lamp. So not very efficient at all unless you have a large array. BUT!!!... UVC technology is evolving so quickly that higher output powers will be achieved FAST. There are already 50 and 75 mW chips on the market… And most of the professional sanitizers that utilize UVC LEDS will use a large array of those chips. But it won’t be long… And you’ll be able to buy a small handheld flashlight capable of putting out 1000mW of optical power utilizing a UVCLED. Which is honestly pretty scary but also really cool for guys like myself who enjoy UV led and laser technology! And a small flashlight such as that would absolutely destroy anything biological… From germs… Skin… Even eyeballs! But if the proper care was used it would be invaluable!
let us know where we could find those to buy when they are available
im like 🤔 buy that or just use a disinfectant wipe?
The wipes can damage the screen long term because of the chemicals in them
I just add isopropyl alcohol to unscented wet wipes and use that and call it a day
I usually just clean using rubbing alcohol if i went outside and rewashed it with water
@@piotisnaturals proof?
Very intresting. I wipe down the phone with 4 tbsp of clorox into 32 oz. Water. I spray the phone down after being in high risk areas. Would be intresting to do that comparison. Would a phone wiped down with podium hyperclorite work better or just as well since most people have it and doesn't hurt the phone. Use same dishes, etc.. Thoughts?
Good question.
@@SnareMan with another vid?
Did you change gloves before touching the “sanitized” phone? I remember working in a microbiology lab and having to swab agar plates…had to do it in such a particular way 😝
We also swab samples on agar plates inside a laminar flow hood
How do you clean devices? Please let me know. Thanks.
the phone soap link you have in your bio looks much smaller than the product you tested. where can i find the product you tested here? i want to put my glasses in it also and the phone specific ones seem too small.
I own a similar UV box for 2 years, but I was skeptical. I tried to convince myself that it works, but I was really having some doubts. Why was I skeptical? I always believed that the fluorescent tube version was a real working sanitizer, while the 5v powered led version was a gimmicky, try to make you feel good device, but does not actually work. I did not have the ability to test or prove it myself. So, for that past 2 years, I really had not have much faith in this kind of device.
I was dubious as well of all of these sorts of things. I'm glad I did the experiment.
Does it really work, cross contamination everytime, Hand/Knob/etc... You clean, and 5 minutes later its back to normale...
Would love to see this, you clean it, then how much time it take to be full of batteria again... pretty sure its quick!
Does it work, pretty sure yes, but does it work alone, not so...
Because of this video I wiped a couple of phone with alcohol wipes. Done and done.
Can you do one for Steramin tablets, they are for sanitizing but they said if you use 4 tablets on one gallon it turns into a disinfectant
I just bought one today from CVS but mine's only has one small UV light bulb on top but the instructions does say to flip over the item it has a settings of 5 minutes 10 minutes and 30 minutes
Yea, apparently some models say that. Those might also be ones that don't make ozone.
It's 185nm those produce ozone don't they? It has that after rain smell.
@@SnareMan They say you can smell the ozone when the cycle is finished ??????? especially if you are using it for fabric masks.
@@lindao7887 yes, you can smell it if you get close to it
Can you test somehow just the leds they are using in these type of products
I don't have a way to test that.
Great! Thanks for the tests
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I get so distracted by the wave of light going behind the yellow vase, what is that light?
Must be a little fire back there. I think it has to do with the frame rate of the camera and the frequency of that light.
You still have to Lysol wipe the box itself because your touching it to open and close and pushing the button right?
Well, you're going to start getting phone contaminated again as soon as you pick it up out of the box.
The only question now is there are a flood of products out there. Some of them cheaper. I wonder if the cheaper ones on Amazon or other brands do a good job. $50 might seem like a lot and some other products are sold for like $20 to $40. Another thing is that medical UV light seems to best but those cost a lot more. I also read that the UV light needs to emit a certain wavelength to prevent bacteria growth. In particular, the wavelength of 264 nm is incredibly impressive at killing germs, viruses and bacteria. Fortunately, UV-C radiation can pass through air without creating ozone, so UV-C lamps can be used in air to disinfect surfaces.
Should do a UV Shoe cabinet review too. 👍🏻☺️
SnareMan: Where do you buy the petri dishes - they are on amazon but some with solution some w/o, not sure?????
These are the ones I used: amzn.to/36cy313
@@SnareMan THANK YOU!!!
@@lindao7887 you're welcome. 🙂
I mean, if it gets people who wouldn’t normally take the time to clean their phone and other items, then good to it. Some people say “just use alcohol wipes” but people are more likely to use a cool little tanning bed for your phone than rip open an alcohol sheet every day. So even if it’s a little less effective, people would be more likely to use it after they come home, than otherwise. I have alcohol sheets, should I use them on my phone? Probably, do I? No.
It’s more convenient in a way, plus you can clean anything in it if you want to.
Wow thanks for doing this!
No problem. Thanks for watching!
isn't ozone disrupting the phone? it should oxidize metals
apparently not I guess
This particular one is $30 on Amazon +$20 S&H. I’m looking for one that ships Prime so it’s cheaper but I’m worried if others work as well as this model and want to steer clear of fakes. Is there another reliable one you can recommend or at least offer some pointers on what features a case should have to make sure it’s one that is a trustworthy. I’m primarily using it for masks.
Check here on YOUTube, other people do the same kind of tests on other models - I think there's a test on "PhoneSoap" models, they're more expensive but I think they pass the test.
Did you sanitize the petri dishes before doing the experiment or did they come sanitized?
They come that way
Thank you ...
You're welcome!
That's a pretty cool test. I wonder if you had a 1/4" piece of glass sitting under the phone if that would allow enough light to get to the bottom side of the phone?
Good question. I'd still be dubious of it, but they say that the ozone helps.
@@SnareMan 'Germicidal' light is UVC which these lamps claim, ozone is UVV which is in a separate category. One lamp can't produce both UVC AND UVV light...are there two different kind of lamps in the unit? Also, ozone can be problematic with how it effects surfaces, and is not safe to be used where it can be inhaled. Enjoyed the video, I was waiting for info like this.
@@scoutyd1885 Thanks. I'm not sure if there is more than 1 type of light, but I'd assume so if they are saying it puts out both the UVC and UVV. I can definitely smell the ozone if I open it afterwards if I get close to it. I would imagine it only produces a small amount of ozone though so it would likely diffuse pretty quickly into the environment.
Some of the more expensive ones have bumps on the bottom that allow light to reach bottom of phone. Some have reflective foil-like on bottom and sides - but not sure reflection works.