UV light sanitizer?

[supernova]

I was in costco yesterday looking at ice chests, due to my bum fridge at the moment.

In the appliance section, I came across this device:


http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10312082&lang=en-CA

Does it really work? Is it really a water/chemical free way to sanitize certain places in your house? Anybody have one and want to share info?

Thanks, :-)

[TZ]

1. Theoretically UV light can kill some microbes.

Whether or not those are the actual microbes you have in your house and whether or not that "UV" light is emitting at the correct wavelength is another story. I would be skeptical.
The only reliable way to sanitize your house from microbes is bleach bleach and more bleach. Thats how labs disinfect.
Edit: Some labs use UV light but its waaay more powerful than that little contraption you have in your picture.

[LynneSin]

2. I have a UV light sanitizer for my toothbrush

People don't realize that everytime you flush the toilet - germs are free flowing everywhere including that toothbrush you have sitting on your sink. I use my UV Santizer to keep the brush head and run it twice a day

[TZ]

3. How do you know it works?

Seriously. There is no real way to tell if this stuff works, and based on what we do to disinfect my lab, I have serious doubts about stuff like this.

[LynneSin]

4. Because it makes me feel good doing it

For $30 that's alot of happiness - please don't crap on it!

:D

[supernova]

5. lol!

On further reading, it appears that it's good at stopping colds and possibly flu and some common molds, but maybe not other types of grungies like e coli or other food poisoning culprits. I was thinking of more using it in the kitchen and bathroom. Possibly not more effective than salting the cutting board, for example, which is what I do now.

[TZ]

6. Well remember that cold and flu are airborne often

So that while it might be good to kill them on surfaces, transmission is still going to occur. I do think devices like this are more to do what LynneSin described..make you feel better..;)

[Orsino]

7. We recently got one at Costco.

I can't tell you how many bacteria it kills, but the thing's easy to use (there's a fail-safe to keep it from being used upside-down. We have a UV thingy for toothbrushes, too.