Ig Nobel Prize: UVC light sterilizes shoes, kills odor (opens in new tab)

(bbc.com)

15 pointshilux5mo ago16 comments

16 comments

JumpCrisscross5mo ago

“But push it too far - 10 to 15 minutes - and the odour gave way to ‘strong burnt rubber’”

Would definitely want to know what volatiles are being produced by this process.

exabrial5mo ago

I won't believe it until you try it on my belay partner's climbing shoes.

Their shoes should be banned under the Geneva convention.

loa_in_5mo ago

I use bleach infused cleaning wipes and I stuff few of them inside each shoe for few nights. I take them out whenever I put on the shoes. On a negative note, it caused some cheaper insoles to literally fall apart overnight while doing this.

exabrial5mo ago

Just curious, do you know the active ingredients on the wipes?

... I wear socks. There's a lot of things holding back my climbing, proper diet, weight training, sticking to a plan, etc... socks are not holding me back pahaha.

1 more reply

hiluxOP5mo ago

Is your belay partner airing out the shoes (ideally outdoors) between sessions, or storing them in a closed bag?

exabrial5mo ago

The clip them with a carabiner to their climbing pack they bring to the gym. I think they air out...

toomuchtodo5mo ago

Have you tried spraying them inside and out with 70% isopropyl alcohol?

exabrial5mo ago

I don't think they do anything to them

1 more reply

xnx5mo ago

Vacuum also reduces odor: https://x.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1801263439769182405

cyberax5mo ago

I've been using the bleach trick, especially when my shoes get wet on their own.

Add a bit of bleach to a bucket, put the shoes there for 3-4 minutes, and then add a bit of thiosulfate to neutralize the bleach. Rinse under running water, and then dry in a tumble dryer (on a drying pan).

jerlam5mo ago

I heard these were already common in China:

https://xcancel.com/NukitToBeSure/status/1972467734656209164...

ranger_danger5mo ago

Any time I have tried to use a UVC light on a product, it always comes out smelling worse. Like, burnt somehow.

hiluxOP5mo ago

Going by the article, you might try reducing the exposure time.

ranger_danger5mo ago

My particular device has a fixed 2 minute timer, but apparently a "burnt hair" smell is an inevitable side-effect of the process.

https://www.uvccleaningsystems.com/cm/dpl/downloads/articles...

Gualdrapo5mo ago

Recently heard that about a study saying UV light can disable airbone allergens in a short time. And now this make it seem there's going to be a big demand for UV lights

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

16 comments

JumpCrisscross5mo ago

“But push it too far - 10 to 15 minutes - and the odour gave way to ‘strong burnt rubber’”

Would definitely want to know what volatiles are being produced by this process.

exabrial5mo ago

I won't believe it until you try it on my belay partner's climbing shoes.

Their shoes should be banned under the Geneva convention.

loa_in_5mo ago

exabrial5mo ago

Just curious, do you know the active ingredients on the wipes?

... I wear socks. There's a lot of things holding back my climbing, proper diet, weight training, sticking to a plan, etc... socks are not holding me back pahaha.

1 more reply

hiluxOP5mo ago

Is your belay partner airing out the shoes (ideally outdoors) between sessions, or storing them in a closed bag?

exabrial5mo ago

The clip them with a carabiner to their climbing pack they bring to the gym. I think they air out...

toomuchtodo5mo ago

Have you tried spraying them inside and out with 70% isopropyl alcohol?

exabrial5mo ago

I don't think they do anything to them

1 more reply

xnx5mo ago

Vacuum also reduces odor: https://x.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1801263439769182405

cyberax5mo ago

I've been using the bleach trick, especially when my shoes get wet on their own.

jerlam5mo ago

I heard these were already common in China:

https://xcancel.com/NukitToBeSure/status/1972467734656209164...

ranger_danger5mo ago

Any time I have tried to use a UVC light on a product, it always comes out smelling worse. Like, burnt somehow.

hiluxOP5mo ago

Going by the article, you might try reducing the exposure time.

ranger_danger5mo ago

My particular device has a fixed 2 minute timer, but apparently a "burnt hair" smell is an inevitable side-effect of the process.

https://www.uvccleaningsystems.com/cm/dpl/downloads/articles...

Gualdrapo5mo ago

Recently heard that about a study saying UV light can disable airbone allergens in a short time. And now this make it seem there's going to be a big demand for UV lights

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse