Proper care and maintenance tips for handling shared equipment during COVID and beyond.
Wash Your Hands
If you are handling your own VR equipment or using someone else’s, one of the simplest ways of keeping the kit clean is having clean hands. If someone is using your devices, ask them to wash their hands before touching your equipment. Your hands are one of the main routes that viruses make their way from surfaces to your respiratory system, so keeping them clean is important. If you can’t get to a sink, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer will do the job.
Antibacterial or Antiviral Wipes
Another way to keep your equipment clean is to always have some antibacterial or antiviral wipes on hand. They are the cheapest and quickest solution should you find yourself needing to refresh your VR equipment. However, do ensure that the wipes are alcohol-free and non-abrasive, otherwise, they may cause the material to break down. Some of the harsher wipes may cause an adverse reaction with a user’s skin, so bear this in mind if you are sanitizing equipment for yourself or others.
Disposable VR Masks
If you’re out demonstrating VR to the general public or clients, you’ll want them to have an optimal experience. Unfortunately, even those with high levels of cleanliness will have natural oils and grime on their face which will build-up on the foam faceplate over time if you do not protect or clean it regularly.
Disposable covers such as these are perfect at keeping your headset clean and protected for all of those who use it. Each mask is single use. It is fitted over the ears and across the eyes before placing a headset on and ensures that everyone gets a fresh VR experience every time.
Silicone Faceplates
For people who are using a headset in their office, and not out in public, a more suitable long-term solution would be a replacement faceplate for your headset that can be wiped clean. VR Cover is an excellent ‘one-stop-shop’ for all the popular headsets. The store offers replacement head straps and face covers that can be wiped down and even put in the washing machine.
Silicone Controller Covers
VR controllers are another item that can harbor germs, just like a computer keyboard or mouse. It is important to either wipe them down regularly or invest in some covers that can be removed and cleaned as needed. Again, there are plenty of types available online for various controllers, but we prefer the silicone ones as they are easy to wipe down and keep your hands from slipping on the plastic.
UV Light Cleaning
Consider making use of some Medical grade UV light cleaning solutions that are on the market. They may help alleviate the overall time spent cleaning devices and increase your hygiene procedure effectiveness.
References:
Rogers, S. (2020 March 3) Coronavirus: Practical Hygiene Advice For Virtual Reality Users. Retrieved from Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2020/03/03/coronavirus-practical-hygiene-advice-for-virtual-reality-users/amp/
Press Team (2020 February 25) COVID-19 Safety for Virtual & Augmented Reality AIXR Guidelines. Retrieved from https://aixr.org/press/articles/covid-19-safety-for-virtual-augmented-reality-aixr-guidelines/