CES2020: Germaphob’s Will Want This

I wipe my cell phone down every night with alcohol wipes and have been doing so for years now. I know what my hands touch and that I am transferring all sorts of viruses, germs and bacteria to my phone, which is the object I touch the most, next to my keyboard and mouse. I stopped by PhoneSoap’s booth twice after the first time I discovered their booth so I could sanitize my cell phone. After all, I was visiting countless booths, touching Ggadgets and prototypes that were handled by hundreds of thousands of other attendees from around the world!

The Med Pro from the professional line, which is designed for a professional workplace environment, such as healthcare, was what I used at the booth since it only took 30 seconds to disinfect my phone. It was fun to play with because it was designed for touchless operation, waving my hand to open/close the door and start/stop the sanitizing process.

There are actually several options for home use which I’ll briefly touch on later, but what you are probably wondering is how does it work? Here’s the quick and dirty: UV-C light is a short-wavelength, ultraviolet light that is deadly to germs (99.99% according to PhoneSoap’s handout and website). PhoneSoap’s products have UV-C bulbs and mirror-like finishes inside the unit to reflect that germ killing light into every nook and cranny of a cell phone or whatever object is placed inside to be disinfected, which using a wipe could easily miss. Check out this video of PhoneSoap’s device being tested on the Discovery Channel.

If you are cringing at the thought of germs on your phone and wondering what this is gonna cost you, here are the various models:

• PhoneSoap 3 $79.95
  • 10 minute sanitizing cycle
  • USB-A and USB-C charging ports (to charge your device while it’s being sanitized)
  • Specially designed acoustic outlets so you never miss an alarm or notification
  • Built to last a decade with lifetime bulb warranty
• PhoneSoap Go $99.95
  • 10 minute sanitizing cycle (the only model that does not need to be plugged in while sanitizing)
  • 6000 mAh battery that charges your phone up to 4 times or disinfects your phone up to 45 times
  • Rugged traveling case included
  • On/Off button
• PhoneSoap Wireless $99.95
  • 10 minute sanitizing cycle
  • USB port for additional charging
  • Qi wireless charging while sanitizing
  • Built to last a decade with lifetime bulb warranty
• PhoneSoap Pro $119.95
  • 5 minute sanitizing cycle
  • USB-A and USB-C charging ports (to charge your device while it’s being sanitized)
  • Automatic and manual sanitizing modes
  • Enlarged sanitizing space that can fit smart watches, keys, and cell phones with big cases or pop sockets
• HomeSoap $199.95
  • 10 minute sanitizing cycle
  • Two fast charging interior USB ports
  • 93.04 mm wide x 234.61mm tall x 334.74 mm long: 27x the sanitizing space for tablets, laptops, remotes, headphones, toys, baby bottles and whatever else you can fit inside.  (about the size of a desktop computer tower)

Take note there are other companies that sell similar cell phone sanitizing products, so I recommend you do your research before deciding what to buy if this technology is for you. There are also some negative reviews on Amazon I saw on PhoneSoap’s 3 about it not working after a few months, but I didn’t read anything about these users trying to warranty it either. There was another brand I saw that incorporates essential oil aromatherapy and is cheaper than PhoneSoap that I found interesting, but after conducting my own research, I have decided to purchase the HomeSoap simply due to the ability to disinfect multiple items at once, larger items, and charge my devices at the same time.

Are you thinking of buying one because you want to give up your disinfecting wipe ways like me? Or are you thinking of buying one because you rarely clean your phone and realize you probably should? Either way, let me know!