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Thread: Covid and frames.

  1. #1
    OptiBoard Professional LadyDie's Avatar
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    Covid and frames.

    Are you doing anything to "sanitize" your frames after someone has tried one on? My boss wants us to wipe them down with clorex wipes. I don't think that is good for the frames and I have heard so many different timetables on how long the virus lives on a hard surface but I really don't think there is much to worry about.
    goodsearch.com vosh

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    OptiBoardaholic OptiBoard Bronze Supporter
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    We are using a Dual Bulb UV baby bottle sanitizer off Amazon. Fits a good amount of frames with no overlap and much cheaper than the units marketed by optical suppliers.

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    Master Jedi King of the Lab's Avatar
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    I am using a 99% Iso Alchohol and water mix.
    Erik Zuniga, ABOC.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alex Camblor View Post
    We are using a Dual Bulb UV baby bottle sanitizer off Amazon. Fits a good amount of frames with no overlap and much cheaper than the units marketed by optical suppliers.
    This is what we use. It was $200 and works great! Depending on the frames I can fit around 8 in there. 11 min (which is changeable) and they are done. Double checked with John at optician works about the UV and 253 nanometers does the job. I feel good not having to worry about damage to the frames by chemicals and also that I got all the spots. Just be sure frames do not touch. I feel that frames are different from other surfaces since you can see them fog up when people are wearing them so they have their breath on them. Quite different than a pen or countertop. My biggest problem are people who won't wear masks. Every now and then I have someone who is well behaved and then they rip them off (out of the blue) and tell me that this is BS. Sigh. So N95 and shield for me. Can't trust anyone.

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    In this pandemic situation it is very important to use sanitizers that kills virus which present on the thing that we use.

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    Eyes eastward... Uilleann's Avatar
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    I would think concentrated UV would be quite harmful to zyl frames, painted frames, and silicone nose pads as well. Not sure there's an easy answer, but harsh chemicals and UV baths don't seem to be too kind if done with any regularity.

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    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    My Doc says if necessary to interrupt his exam and he will make a non mask wearer leave.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uilleann View Post
    I would think concentrated UV would be quite harmful to zyl frames, painted frames, and silicone nose pads as well. Not sure there's an easy answer, but harsh chemicals and UV baths don't seem to be too kind if done with any regularity.
    While I agree this is true, I would think for UV, it would take a lot of cleanings on the same frame for it to do damage. Chemicals however, can melt your fingerprint right into a zyl frame!

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    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    We're using just plain old baby butt wipes. It has some soapy stuff in it.

    Look, it's not likely that it even matters AT ALL. It's freakishly unlikely that someone is going to ingest a sufficiently infectious viral load from a frame on their face.

    If you have to do "the protocol" (and very much of it is mere placebo/marketing), the first step in all sterilization techniques is to remove the mass of biomaterial. That means wiping off crud and goo and slime. If it needs, needs, needs to be sterile, then, yeah, use isopropyl alcohol or UV if you must.

    Hopefully all our frames will sell quickly way before they're damaged, anyway!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post
    My Doc says if necessary to interrupt his exam and he will make a non mask wearer leave.
    Same here. The problem I have is that I work alone in an office down the hall from everyone else so it would take too long for anyone to come to help me. Most of my patients are elderly who's masks tend to fall without them realizing it. I tape them with medical paper tape and they are fine. Its just every now and then that I get a crazy. I had a nice guy yesterday. Did a small repair and fixed him up. As he leaves out the door, he takes off his mask and says "oh by the way... China had this all planned." Um...ok..you can put your mask back on now. I don't care what you believe...you can share your thoughts with your mask on, thank you!

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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Hopefully all our frames will sell quickly way before they're damaged, anyway!
    Yes!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post
    My Doc says if necessary to interrupt his exam and he will make a non mask wearer leave.
    +1

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    Fire works fairly well.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lelarep View Post
    Fire works fairly well.
    +1

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    At the end of the day (I'm at a small practice so once a day seems to work fine...) all the frames that patients have tried on go into a sink with hot water and dawn. I let them soak for about 10-15 minutes then I rinse and let sit overnight to dry. I read several manufacturers recommended mild soaps and or peroxide so I keep a 50/50 peroxide/water mix in a bottle in case I need to clean one or 2 frames on the quick.

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    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    I'm with the cleaners and not strong sanitizers. I am also in a state with low positive rates and a mostly conscientious population of guideline followers.

    Enough small businesses have been open long enough for me to be more comfortable knowing we are not the cause of positive clusters from our offices.

    Still, common sense rules so mask (medical grade) and frequent hand washing is the new normal for all of us.
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 08-12-2020 at 09:04 AM. Reason: tweak...

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    Master OptiBoarder AngeHamm's Avatar
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    We spray and wipe them with alcohol when they've been tried on even once.

    Here's an interesting piece from the Atlantic about how all this surface cleaning is likely doing more harm than good.
    I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.

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    Hydrogen peroxide and a narrowband UV-C light, or submerging in at least a 70% IPA solution with agitation and through drying seems like it would work best (assuming said frame is IPA tolerant, see one of my previous posts on what happens when a frame is IPA intolerant. Hint: It's not pretty).
    Last edited by Lelarep; 08-13-2020 at 02:35 PM.

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    I spray them with Dettol and I wipe them. Also in the day time I do the same Procedure than I move them under the Sun Rays for a few minutes.

    I ask my patients to leave the frames Upside down so we can Sanitize them later.

    Thank you for sharing information.

  21. #21
    OptiBoardaholic OptiBoard Bronze Supporter
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    I have got 70% isopropyl on some zyl frames and it has immediately made the finish less shiny and I have to take it over to the buffing wheel and polish it out. For that reason, I avoid Iso on frames.

    We initially were washing frames at the end of the day but it proved to be too time consuming. Now they just go in the UV sterilizer for 10 minutes.

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    I spent $1000 and got a large UVC sterilization cabinet, it can fit 40 or so frames in it and kills covid in 45 seconds, though I usually run it for 10-15 minutes, easy peasy. Kills MRSA, TB, fungus also. If people are nervous I will gladly place any frames they want into it pre them trying it on. Was a pain in the *** to get one, but glad I did. Probably more glad for the MRSA, TB, Fungus stuff than the covid which dies off pretty fast anyway.

    I used alcohol at first while I waited for this to come in but I am not comfortable spraying and wiping down $500 frames 5 times a day with rubbing alcohol, it will begin to damage them for certain.

    https://www.southernlabware.com/ultr...-5-x-9-25.html

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tallboy View Post
    I spent $1000 and got a large UVC sterilization cabinet, it can fit 40 or so frames in it and kills covid in 45 seconds, though I usually run it for 10-15 minutes, easy peasy. Kills MRSA, TB, fungus also. If people are nervous I will gladly place any frames they want into it pre them trying it on. Was a pain in the *** to get one, but glad I did. Probably more glad for the MRSA, TB, Fungus stuff than the covid which dies off pretty fast anyway.

    I used alcohol at first while I waited for this to come in but I am not comfortable spraying and wiping down $500 frames 5 times a day with rubbing alcohol, it will begin to damage them for certain.

    https://www.southernlabware.com/ultr...-5-x-9-25.html
    Jealous! Right now we are a slower office and our small little box works just fine, but to do 40 frames at once is awesome!

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