Ig Nobel Prize: UVC light sterilizes shoes, kills odor

(bbc.com)

14 points | by hilux 11 hours ago ago

15 comments

  • JumpCrisscross 10 hours ago 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.

  • exabrial 10 hours ago 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_ 10 hours ago 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.

      • exabrial 10 hours ago 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.

    • toomuchtodo 8 hours ago ago

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

      • exabrial 3 hours ago ago

        I don't think they do anything to them

    • hilux 9 hours ago ago

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

      • exabrial 3 hours ago ago

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

  • xnx 10 hours ago ago
  • jerlam 10 hours ago ago

    I heard these were already common in China:

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

  • Gualdrapo 9 hours ago 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

  • ranger_danger 10 hours ago ago

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

  • cyberax 10 hours ago 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).