Philips UV-C Disinfection Desk Lamp: A silent killer of invisible pests
Philip UV-C Disinfection Desk Lamp. Picture: Noel Campion.
I’m not a big fan of chemicals or detergents and only use them where necessary so the Philips UV-C Disinfection Desk Lamp is a solution that appeals to me. It uses ultraviolet light with the sole purpose of killing germs and viruses.
Philips says the disinfection lamp will help consumers disinfect their homes, and rental properties if on holiday, from bacteria and viruses (including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19).
The UV-C lamp is a simple device that doesn’t have to be connected to WiFi to work. It can be placed anywhere in a room but in my testing, I mostly used it on my office desk at night before going to bed and on my coffee table during the day to cleanse the living room. Other good places to use it are in kitchens, bathrooms and even bedrooms.
The top of the lamp has two touch-sensitive buttons; power and timer. There are three numbers with LED lights that indicate the cleaning time — 15, 30 or 45 minutes. It has two UV-C bulbs in the centre of the lamp held in place between a base and top with four metal corner columns and open sides. The lamp needs to be plugged into the wall when in use but Philips suggests you unplug it when it’s not in use.
The UV-C lamp has a speaker on the top that’s used for voice alerts and instructions. The built-in voice will tell you how to use the lamp and alert you to leave the room when the cleaning process is about to begin.
UV-C light is harmful to pets and humans so it’s important that there’s no one in the room when the disinfection starts. To ensure this happens, the UV-C Disinfection Desk Lamp gives you lots of prior warnings to ensure you vacate the room. There’s also no way to accidentally turn on the lamp since you have to press the power button and then press and hold it again for three seconds. After that, you have to select the amount of time you want the session to last and finally, to turn on the lamp you have to press the power button again. A voice will instruct you throughout the process and give you ample warnings.
If you or a pet walk into the room accidentally, it will sense the motion and automatically turn off the lamp. The microwave motion sensor is very effective and I was never able to fool it — it’s pretty easy to forget you have it on and walk right in the middle of a cleaning session. There’s no smart apps or remote control to worry about — it just works smart and safely to get the job done in silence.
I can’t claim the effectiveness of the lamp but independent tests have been done to ensure it works. Science tells us that UV-C light can neutralise viruses and bacteria on surfaces and anywhere the light can illuminate. How long you choose to leave it on depends on the size of the room.
This is one of those pieces of technology that’s simple to use and doesn’t require any tech knowledge. Yes, you can keep a place clean with detergents and good old fashioned elbow grease but I like a gadget that can reach into places I know I rarely visit. It’s also nice to know that you can start each day with a cleansed desk or work area.
Of course, the lamp is something you can bring with you on holidays and have it cleanse a hotel room or apartment to ensure it really is more than visually clean to give you peace of mind.
