Today we are sharing things you can clean with sunlight!

Talk about a perfect article for summertime. It is July, which means there is plenty (if not too much) sunshine to go around. I live in Texas, and we have very hot sun this time of year.

I think it is neat how versatile sunshine is though. Technologically, it is used for many things in our society. Solar panels can energize your home, sunlight helps plants grow, and heat water too.

God created the perfect resource with the sun, and I love the science going on behind the scenes in a ray of sunshine.

Let’s talk about some incredible things you can clean with sunlight right at home!

Things You Can Clean With Sunlight

The reason you can clean with just sunlight, is due to the UV rays. UV rays are incredibly complex, and you could spend hours studying how they work. There are three main types of UV rays: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C rays.  About 95% of UV-B rays are absorbed by the Earth’s ozone, so the majority of what we experience are UV-A and UV-C.

According to the FDA, direct exposure to UV-C rays can destroy the protein coating of a virus or bacteria. It is important to note that this article from the FDA also says this must be direct exposure. If something is blocked by soil or dust, it won’t get directly to the viral or bacterial strand. This goes back to our information on cleaning vs disinfecting. I highly recommend reading our article to understand why you must clean surfaces first before disinfecting.

This lab experiment and report compares disinfecting with bleach to UV rays. These UV rays from sunlight are basically a natural bleach and disinfectant, so we can utilize this at home! Let’s check out some neat things you can clean with sunlight.

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Remove Odors From Fabrics

First up is my favorite thing to do with sunlight. You can remove odors quickly with UV rays! Check out our post from earlier in the year on removing odor from clothing. You can do this for clothing, furniture, towels, sheets, or anything fabric. The UV rays kill bacteria that cause odor, but also neutralizes any perfume type scents. I recommend this time of year (summer), to only leave things out for about an hour to avoid any fading of fabrics.

Whiten Whites

If you have some dingy white fabric, then you can clean it with sunlight! This is where the bleaching comes into play. Hang up white sheets, towels, socks, shirts, or tablecloths after washing them if needed. Any yellowing or discoloration can be naturally bleached with the UV rays. For this, you can leave it outside for hours in the summer sun. The longer, the more whitening power you can get out of the sun.

Freshen and Sanitize Pillows

Sunlight can work wonders for pillows. It will kill bacteria lingering in pillow fabric, whiten the fabric, and freshen any odors!

Comforters and Quilts

While you are at it, you can take your comforter or quilt from your bed and freshen it outside. I can’t fit my king size bed quilt in the washing machine, so I take it outside! Hang it in the sun for a few hours, flip it over and do the next side. Not only will the freshen, but it kill dust mites or bacteria on your quilt. If you have a white comforter, you can double the time to help whiten dinginess. I really love this for freshening mine up. You can also spray some essential oil on the comforter when you bring it inside.

Mold On Any Surface

If you have mold on something like plastic, wood, or fabric, then sunshine is your answer! I have shared this tip with readers for years who email me about a molded item. One lady told me she had mold on an old book, and she said it also smelled very musty. I told her to put it outside in the sunlight for a few hours. She said it got rid of the smell and also killed the mold! Once the sunlight kills the mold spores, you can wipe it off with a damp microfiber cloth then dry it. I have done this on just about every surface even wood!

Stained Plastic

If you have a plastic surface with a stain like plastic storage containers or any plastic around your house, the sunlight can naturally bleach dyes or stains in plastic! I tried this with one of my food storage containers that had spaghetti in it. The plastic was stained red even after washing with hot water and soap, soaking in hot water in soap, using vinegar, and even scrubbing with baking soda. I set it outside in direct sunlight for a few hours, and it bleached the red color! After I washed it again, it looked as good as new! Try it out with anything plastic.

Mildewed Outdoor Furniture

If you have some outdoor cushions or furniture, you can utilize the sunlight to clean it! Lay it in direct sunlight for a few hours making sure to rotate so all sides get the direct sun. You can then wash it with an outdoor furniture cleaner, and it will be clean to new!

Rugs or Throws

I have a big bulldog who loves sleeping on the laundry room rug, and it can get stinky! I clean it regularly, but nothing beats laying it outside in the sun. A few hours in the sunlight, and all the pup odor is completely gone! You can do this with blankets or throws too.

Face Masks

The last tip for today is cleaning your face masks with UV sunlight. Obviously, this tip is thanks to the pandemic which is slowly getting back to normal. If you are still using a mask for work or when you go somewhere, you can sanitize it outside. First, wash it (if it is cloth) in the washing machine. Then, lay it outside in the sunlight for a few hours. I learned this tip from my husband’s work. He is a first responder and they have used UV light to disinfect masks especially when supplies were low for new ones. They used artificial UV light.

Speaking of that, what about using UV lights and lamps?

Yes, you can use artificial UV lighting to achieve the same results as sunlight according to the FDA. The drawback to this is it can be dangerous, expensive, and might not work as well as natural sunlight. However, it is a great option for companies who need to utilize UV light for large amounts of disinfecting like in the case of the face masks we mentioned above.

I would definitely check with the FDA recommendations on this for details.

I hope you enjoyed this fun, summer themed, informative post today!

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