How to disinfect your home with UV-C light

March 22, 2021

UV-C lighting is one of the most effective ways to disinfect your home against viruses and other germs.

A clean home may not always be a happy home. But it can certainly make you feel happier and improve your sense of wellbeing.

For most of us, our home is a safe place. It’s where we unwind and has become the center of our universe during lockdown. And to feel and be safe it helps to make sure that surfaces and objects are disinfected, as we’re all at risk of contracting or spreading viruses and bacteria. But how can we keep objects in our home clean?

We all care about the well-being of our loved ones, but during and after this pandemic the niggling thought in the back of our minds is whether we’re doing enough to protect them from exposure to viruses and bacteria. Here’s where our Philips UV-C disinfection lights can make a big difference by adding an extra barrier of protection in the fight against viruses and bacteria.

Disinfecting small and personal objects

Now for some science. Don’t tune out - I’ll keep it mercifully brief. UV-C is an invisible band of light. The sun generates UV-C as part of sunlight, but it’s filtered out by the Earth’s atmosphere. However, it can be created artificially by special bulbs and tubes and, at the wavelength of 254 nanometers, it is highly effective in inactivating viruses, bacteria and mold by breaking down their DNA/RNA.

In laboratory tests, our UV-C light sources reduced SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) on a surface to below detectable levels in as few as 9 seconds. Given that laboratory conditions are hard to replicate in real-life situations, we normally recommended the disinfection cycle to be measured in minutes.

Our latest product aimed at the home market, is the Philips UV-C disinfection box. Equipped with Philips UV-C lamps, it provides for an easy and effective way to deactivate hazardous viruses, bacteria, germs and mites – in a matter of minutesⁱ.

The disinfection box is designed to be easy to use. Just place multiple items inside, close the lid, then set and continue with your daily routine. Here’s how it works:

The disinfection box is suitable for a wide range of items like toys, keys, cell phones and wallets. The box is designed to switch off automatically when the cover is opened, preventing any chance of light escaping. The box is simple to operate, with intuitive controls, a clear digital display and a convenient flip up cover.

How to disinfect surfaces in a room

The Philips UV-C disinfection desk lamp, first rolled out in Asia last year is designed to disinfect surfaces in a room. It can render viruses, bacteria, molds and spores harmless in a matter of minutesⁱⁱ. According to Sau Hong Lim, Signify’s Head of Consumer Customer Segment Management in Greater China, “The UV-C desk lamp is highly effective in terms of killing germs and inactivating viruses and includes innovative safety features like motion detection and voice alert.”

Safety is important. Neither you, or your pets, should be directly exposed to a UV-C light as it can damage your skin and eyes. You should also protect your plants from UV-C light exposure. Saying that, our UV-C lighting is designed to be used safely and is proven to be a powerful form of chemical-free disinfection.

Before the disinfection cycle starts, people or animals need to vacate the room. Plants should be shielded and access to the room needs to be cut off (by, for instance, closing all the doors to the room). With safety top of mind, our UV-C disinfection desk lamp is equipped with several safety measures – such as a timer, a motion sensor and an audible warning to vacate the room. Recommended disinfection times will vary depending on the size of the room. But generally, a typical bathroom takes about 15 minutes, a bedroom 30 minutes, and a living room 45 minutesⁱⁱ.

Whilst vaccines are on the way, the need for UV-C light remains. This is because it can help protect against all manner of pathogens and viruses. If you want to learn more about our UV-C disinfection lighting, check out our UV-C information page.

ⁱSignify and Boston University validate effectiveness of Signify’s UV-C light sources on inactivating the virus that causes COVID-19. Press release, June 16, 2020.
ⁱⁱ Disinfection effectiveness will vary depending on the disinfection time, distance and type of surface/object. Calculation references: Living room 28m2, with 3m range. Bedroom 20m2, 2.5m range. Washroom 13m2, 2m range.

About the author:

Imaan Faruqui

Global integrated Communications Intern

For further information, please contact:

For editorial enquiries:

Signify Global Integrated Communications
Neil Pattie
Tel: + 31 6 15 08 48 17
Email: neil.pattie@signify.com

For commercial enquiries:

About Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2021, we had sales of EUR 6.9 billion, approximately 37,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for five consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.

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