How to build a sterilising UV BOX

This post results from a note shared on the Troublemaker chat group.
The author, Gianpaolo Rodola, agrees to make it available here and I am helping him with this post and with a project on Wikifactory on building a sterilising UV box.

What’s needed:

• an UV lamp for aquariums; I bought one on amazon for 17 EUR
• tinfoil* (to reflect UV rays inside the sterilising uv box) – *tinfoil refers to the common aluminium foil for cooking
• scotch* /duct-tape (to fix the tinfoil in the box) – *scotch refers to the common adhesive tape, not the spirit
• a reasonably spacious plastic box with top cover
• empty plastic bottles (to create a “floor” inside the box and “elevate” the objects you put inside so that the UV rays can reach the objects from below)
• stapler* (to hold plastic bottles together) – *you may need stapler and staples
• knife + lighter (to create holes in the plastic cover and fix the lamp)
• steel wire (to fix the lamp on the cover)

Note: UV light must emit UV-C light type (aquarium lamps usually do that). Ref: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200327-can-you-kill-coronavirus-with-uv-light

How to assemble the sterilising UV box:

• use tinfoil + scotch/duct-tape to cover the inside of plastic box and its cover

• cut the bottom of plastic bottles (say 9 of them); all must be of the same height

• “join” the plastic bottles together with the stapler

• make 4 holes on the cover; heat the knife with the lighter to make the holes

• fix the UV lamp on the cover by using the steel wire

How to use it:

• put objects on the floor made of bottles
• make sure all objects will be reached by light

• close the cover
• turn on the light and make it run for 30 minutes

• don’t look at the UV light (bad for the eyes)
• keep a door/window open: UV light produces ozone