Sanitize cell phones at Veterans Memorial Hospital
VMH PhoneSoap machine ... A PhoneSoap machine is available at the receptionist desk at Veterans Memorial Hospital that will sanitize germs on phones using ultra violet light. The Veterans Memorial Hospital Laboratory swabbed a random cell phone, culturing it to find a variety of colonies of germs pictured at the left side of the above photo. The same phone was placed in the new PhoneSoap machine, then swabbed and cultured again to find the germs had been safely and effectively sanitized, as pictured at the right side of the photo. Submitted photo.
Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon is inviting the public to sanitize their own personal cell phones at the main entrance of the hospital. A PhoneSoap machine is available at the receptionist desk that will sanitize germs on phones using ultra violet light. The process is safe and effective. It takes about 10 minutes and is ideal for outpatients coming into the hospital for an appointment and also for visitors stopping by and customers who wish to shop in the hospital’s gift case while they wait.
Phones just need to be dropped off with the receptionist or volunteer. They will be placed in the PhoneSoap machine and approximately 10 minutes later, the ultra violet lights will be finished sanitizing the phone which can then be picked up again by the owner. The general public is also welcome to drop in for this sanitizing process.
Cell phones are handled over and over again throughout the day, many times being laid down on a wide variety of surfaces and then picked up and handled again, attaching a huge variety of germs along the way as depicted in the picture at right.
The Veterans Memorial Hospital Laboratory swabbed a random cell phone, culturing it to find a variety of colonies of germs pictured at the left of that accompanying photo. The same phone was placed in the PhoneSoap machine, then swabbed and cultured again to find the germs had been safely and effectively sanitized as pictured at the right side of the photo.
Veterans Memorial Hospital offered the PhoneSoap machine at its Allamakee County Fair booth in the Pavilion commercial exhibit building and the service was very popular.
The PhoneSoap machine is available for use at the main entrance of the hospital from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is also highly recommended to wipe off cell phones frequently with an electronic safe sanitizing wipe. For additional information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
