For visitors and customers of an institution, the most important purpose of the hospitality industry is to provide them with welcoming, convenient, and safe locations to stay and eat. One of the most challenging duties for anyone working in the hospitality industry is keeping one step ahead of the germs and bacteria that guests bring with them. Was it ever brought to your attention that using ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect guest rooms and other areas of your establishment may help to ensure the safety of your guests as well as the reputation of your company? Yes, you are quite accurate. The necessity of the hour is for everyone to be cautious. According to research, simply wearing masks and following social distancing rules is insufficient. The result has been that everything has become a bit more difficult, particularly for business travelers who must go to remote locations and stay in hotels or rental flats. However, in order to guarantee that all visitors feel secure and comfortable, numerous hotels are using advanced disinfection technologies such as ultraviolet light sanitization to maintain a cleaner and germ-free atmosphere. Here are five surprising ultraviolet uses for the hospitality that you may not have been aware of before. But first, let’s take a look at the science underlying UV light’s germicidal effects. Follow us.
How Does Germicidal Ultraviolet Irradiation Work?
Ultraviolet light is naturally present in sunlight and accounts for about 10% of the total light output by the sun. UV is a kind of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 10 nm to 400 nm. However, germicidal effects are observed at UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C wavelengths. Various wavelengths of UV radiation may affect the genetic material of bacteria by breaking nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, causing cell death and the inability to reproduce by targeting the sensitive DNA of a harmful organism. Because this disinfection may occur on surfaces as well as in the air, high-energy UV light disinfection solutions are ideal for air handling units, food and water purification, surface disinfection, and other applications.
UV-B and UV-A radiation also induce oxidation of proteins and lipids, which leads to cell death. Photoreactivation, a process that may result in injured microorganisms self-repairing, has been shown to be inhibited by broad spectrum (UV A, B, and C) lamps. Powerful, clinical-level UV disinfection fixtures can irradiate pathogens like today’s COVID-19 virus, as well as bacteria, molds, and fungus, to a clinical level of 99.9%. This makes UV light disinfection technology ideal for hotel facilities that have concerns about water damage, mold, and fungal development in general.
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UV-LED and far UV-C
The age of UV-C innovation is just getting started as manufacturers and industries realize the possibilities of this technology. Traditional germicidal UVC light (254 nm wavelength) may disinfect rooms, surfaces, and the air, but the room must be absolutely clear of humans or pets to prevent direct UV light harming skin and eyes. With a wavelength of 222 nm, Far UV-C cannot penetrate the outer skin layer or the tear layer of the eye, therefore it poses no risk to others in the room when disinfection is taking place.
UV disinfection may occur whenever the need arises, anytime, anywhere, and anywhere since it can’t reach and subsequently destroy live cells in humans or dogs. A lot of research, energy, and resources are currently being spent on this new technology, most notably since a prominent institution has found that UV-C may, in fact, irradiate SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The effect of Far UV-C on the hotel sector might be enormous, and it could go a long way toward enabling all hotels to clean and guard against future possible diseases.
Today’s LED lighting devices do release very minute quantities of UV radiation, but at levels that have no discernible disinfectant impact. However, since interest in ecologically friendly UV light output has grown in recent years, UV-LED technology has received a lot of attention. Current solutions can provide UV light in the UV-A, B, and C wavelengths, but they’re still a long way from being a practical and cost-effective method to bring UV disinfection to hotels and other businesses.
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Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality and infection hazards in the hospitality sector:
- Visitors from all over the globe come together to spend time together.
- In areas where distance rules cannot be enforced, there is a high danger of infection.
- Elevators, Corridors
- Because of the continually changing occupancy, there is a risk of infection for cleaning workers.
- The possibility of a “corona hotspot” is quite high.
What measures can you take to lower the risk of infection?
It has been a long time since our team at Dinies Technologies GmbH began working on the development of autonomous disinfection solutions that make daily life safer without the need for extra staff. Viral and bacterial infections are removed in a very short period of time when artificial UV light is used to disinfect room air or surfaces in a fully natural manner, without the need for chemicals.
Artificial UV light and ozone are used to disinfect hotel rooms.
Using an ultraviolet ozone generator, the surfaces and air in the hotel room may be cleaned to reduce the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 viruses. This can be done both for personal safety and to protect the cleaning crew. This is commonly accomplished via the use of a UV ozone generator OG144 for 20–30 minutes or a UV ozone generator OG44 for 60 minutes to get the desired results.
The benefits of UV-disinfection in hotel rooms are many.
- Protecting visitors and employees may help to reduce the risk of illness.
- Up to 99.9 percent of all airborne bacteria may be disinfected using this method.
- Because of the permanent installation, there is continuous disinfecting.
- Even with high room frequency, the usage of this product is flexible.
- When there are other individuals in the room, it is safe to use.
- Design that is simple and attractive, as well as high-quality materials
Ultraviolet (UV-C) uses for the hospitality industry
In order to create a welcome, secure, and convenient environment for visitors to stay, the hospitality business is always on the move. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality industry in order to prevent hazardous germs and bacteria from spreading is, therefore, one of the most difficult tasks that the hospitality business has to face. People who work in the hospitality industry are aware that disinfection may be accomplished via a variety of methods.
Hotels of the current day, on the other hand, disinfect using ultraviolet light, which eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria. They are installing UVC lights because of its efficiency, simplicity of use, and convenience in killing even the tiniest germs that may be lurking in your guest rooms throughout their stay. Some of the most prevalent causes for the increased usage of UV equipment in the hotel business include the following:
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- Television remotes and telephones
The remote controls for televisions and telephones in hotel rooms are frequently contaminated with germs. Cleaning them with disinfectants may kill some of the bacteria and germs that they harbor, but it will not eliminate all of them completely. If you’re looking for ways to put ultraviolet light to work as a justification for investing in new technology, consider the fact that you may put your remote controls, phones, and other tiny devices that visitors touch – such as alarm clocks – directly in the line of the ultraviolet light. Germs will be eliminated everywhere the light comes into contact with them. The next visitor who checks in will be able to rest assured that turning on the television or ordering room service will not expose them to potentially hazardous bacteria.
- Areas for food preparation
Bacterial contamination of kitchens, pantries, and food storage areas is an ongoing war that has no endpoint. Actually, hazardous germs may persist even after the most thorough cleaning using standard procedures such as soap, water, and bleach has been completed. One of the most innovative uses of UV light is in the cleaning of kitchens and food preparation rooms. With the use of UV light technology, it is possible to disinfect anything from knives to cutting boards to sinks, shelves, and even cookware. As a matter of fact, employing ultraviolet light to clean your kitchen or restaurant means that you’ll never have to worry about insufficient cleaning or ill customers again since germs cannot develop a resistance to UV light the way they may to chemical cleaners.
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- Pillows and blankets
When guests arrive, they want their sheets, pillows, and towels to be laundered in hot water on a consistent basis. However, it is not feasible for hotels to clean pillows and blankets every time a visitor checks out. As a result, even if the sheets have been recently laundered, visitors’ mattresses might often contain harmful microorganisms. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality industry might be harmful. Some firms make use of UV light wands and portable devices, but there are hazards linked to their usage as well as the tools themselves.
A user who does not set the wand near enough to a surface or who does not use it for an extended period of time may end up leaving hazardous organisms behind. Because of this, our efforts have been concentrated on developing UV technology that is meant to function autonomously and may lessen the likelihood of human mistakes leading to the detection of bacteria. Finally, informing visitors that your rooms have been cleaned using UV technology may provide them with a level of comfort that they would not otherwise have.
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- Fitness centers
The fact that workout equipment may contain more than 1,000,000 germs per square inch, according to recent research, may surprise you. Almost every hotel has a fitness center for its guests’ use, but your customers will not be grateful if they get unwell as a result of utilizing your equipment at your facility. Furthermore, the foul odor that can be found in many gyms is not caused by perspiration; rather, it is caused by the bacteria that accumulates as a consequence of the sweat. The use of UV light to disinfect a space has the potential to permanently prevent the development of hazardous microorganisms.
- How to use higher premiums to your advantage
In theory, transitioning from traditional methods of disinfection to UV technology would be more expensive than what you’re now doing. The inverse, on the other hand, may very well be true. Companies in the hotel sector spend a significant amount of money on sanitary wipes and other sanitation supplies on a regular basis. Additional disinfection processes and/or wellness amenities in your rooms, according to research studies and real-world initiatives with hotels such as Best Western and MGM Grand, may boost guest happiness, occupancy rates, and/or premium prices.
Designing for Disinfection: The Latest Hotel Design Trend
The events of the last eight months have prompted the hotel business, like so many others, to reconsider the concept of efficiency vs. readiness. And, when we explore the future of travel and hotel rooms, the implications for hotel design and renovation open up new avenues for resilience and survival in the next months and years. Today, technologies exist that can not only aid in the short term, but can also be significant long-term solutions if the hotel industry puts a higher priority on being prepared for any future infectious occurrence.
Furthermore, tourists who are concerned and looking for peace of mind and greater standards of safety will choose lodgings that provide higher degrees of disinfection. The traveling public will never forget the pandemic’s effect and dread. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality industry, and disinfection is one such method. Today, an increasing number of hotels and resorts are relying on the germicidal properties of UV light to quickly disinfect guest rooms, fitness facilities, bathrooms, and other public spaces in order to regain the trust of returning travelers looking for safety protocols that can protect them from the COVID-19 virus. If UV light products are strong enough, they can make places where people congregate 99.9% pathogen-free.
Build Towards Preparedness, From Rehab and Remodeling to New Construction
One option to incorporate disinfection into a hotel’s general operation is to use UV disinfection light technology, which is provided via tiny but powerful units integrated into rooms, restaurants, spas, event spaces, and other public areas. UV light’s disinfectant properties have been scientifically demonstrated for well over a century. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality are now more powerful, adaptable, and inexpensive than ever thanks to recent technological advancements.
Hotels can incorporate clinical-level disinfection cycles to keep guests, staff, and visitors safe from infectious diseases, ranging from UV lighting products mounted in bathroom ceilings to portable units that can disinfect all surfaces and the air in hotel rooms to autonomous robots that follow predetermined paths throughout unpopulated halls and large public areas.
UV light can physically inactivate up to 99.9% of viruses, including today’s COVID-19 virus, but it can also eliminate mold, fungus, and bacteria that afflict so many hotels around the country, unlike typical housekeeping practices that utilize harsh chemical cleansers to wash down surfaces. As architects and lighting specifiers consider how they can help their hotel clients be as prepared as possible for any future pathogen, as well as provide real solutions for containing the growth of bacteria, molds, and fungi, incorporating UV lighting solutions from the start will allow hotels to operate responsibly and profitably regardless of what happens.
The expense of this layer of preparation may be a fraction of the cost of a complete shutdown of operations. In the long run, the entire cost of installing UV light sanitation may be cheaper than the ongoing cost of stocking more chemical cleansers and the manpower hours required to disinfect everything by hand.
Keep an eye out for new UV disinfection light technologies
Today, there is a growing variety of robust and efficient UV disinfection technologies that hotels may use to reclaim their guests’ trust and peace of mind while staying at their establishments. Looking forward, a number of new technologies are on the horizon that will continue to expand the use of UV light disinfection for the benefit of not just the hotel sector, but many other businesses as well. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality industry as new technologies are just around the bend and can produce seamless, 360° disinfection solutions, whether it’s new hotel construction, renovating, or retrofitting existing properties to deliver a greater degree of guest safety and operational preparation.
UV/ambient light fixtures that are integrated
Another emerging technology is the potential to combine regular ambient lighting with UV disinfection lights in lighting fixtures. This would enable lighting fixtures to be installed in hotel rooms, restrooms, meeting and event spaces, spas, and other locations where disinfection could take place easily, all while being connected to pre-programmed building controls and IoT systems. As an example, when visitors check out of a hotel, the ambient/UV light fixtures might perform their disinfection cycle automatically, allowing for a faster room turnover.
Innovation and limitless possibilities will characterize the future.
The actual future is being written right now in the hotel business, as well as in areas ranging from healthcare and sports facilities to restaurants and schools. The global pandemic has accelerated the use of UV disinfection technology and the quest for new discoveries by five to ten years. Most hotel GMs, executives, and owners may not have ever heard of UV light disinfection, much less considered it, 8 months ago. The market for this technology is rapidly expanding as hospitality firms look for ways to keep their visitors and employees secure.
Hotel Design for the Future
While the lessons of a near-total hotel closure will be indelible and long-lasting, tourism, travel, and hospitality will undoubtedly return at some point. Travel will come back to life as a result of the requirement for business travel as well as the age-old yearning to explore and experience new things. But, in the future, the hotel business will be driven by memories of the pandemic, changing customer behavior, and a heightened feeling of awareness and caution to provide that additional degree of safety, cleanliness, and preparation for all visitors. In fact, there are signs that today’s guests expect, if not demand, a better degree of hotel cleanliness than ever before. Today, UV disinfecting lighting technology may help a hotel and its brand reclaim guests. Building in a layer of readiness for any new virus or illness in the future may assist in protecting hotel establishments from losing income, earnings, and reputation in the blink of an eye. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality industry projects or renovation projects is a terrific method to remain operationally robust and, most importantly, resilient long into the future.
What’s the bottom line? UV-C in Your Hotel as a Final Point of Discussion
The hotel business is always saddled with the responsibility of meeting the demands of its customers. Ultraviolet uses for the hospitality industry, especially during these challenging economic times when your company is battling to survive, may help you attract more consumers and provide even better levels of customer satisfaction. If you are considering purchasing high-end UVC disinfection devices like lamps and wands, get in touch with our Smart UV team for more information. We are professionals in the creation of quality-checked UV light devices that may be used to successfully remove germs and enhance the interior environment’s overall quality. To learn more about our UVC, please visit our website.