Light Modifiers located at 2414 West Cullerton, Chicago, has been proudly serving Chicagoland and the Midwest for over 3 years, providing exceptional film and television lighting services with friendly union and non-union professionals.
At Light Modifiers Rental, we are taking many precautions to ensure customer safety as our industry starts to slowly reopen. When COVID-19 hit and shut down the film industry, we were understandably devastated. As a gear rental business, however, there was an added layer of stress because our gear passes through so many hands on each job, and we knew we needed to be extra diligent about cleaning.
We knew that when the industry started to reopen, we would need to figure out a way to safely and effectively sanitize gear–gear that goes through many, many hands while out on a job. We wanted to make sure that we had a concrete plan in place to clean and sanitize our gear so that our clients and staff would stay safe. We first looked to the most obvious choice: chemical cleaners/sanitizers. Not only was that option expensive, but it was also difficult to find the quantity of product we’d need since the pandemic has caused a shortage, some of our gear wouldn’t withstand the frequent and repeated use of chemical solvents without eventually breaking down, and it was NOT the most environmentally friendly choice in terms of ingredients and the paper waste that would go along with it. When we started brainstorming and researching other options, we decided to stick with what we know best: LIGHT.
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One of our partners had been reading about UVC light and its uses in sanitizing medical equipment. We did some more digging, and discovered that we could use UVC light to sanitize our equipment quickly and effectively, killing 99.8% of viruses and bacteria. The added bonus?
We’re lighting nerds and this was a cool way to use our favorite tool in a new medium.
UVC light has been used extensively for more than 40 years in disinfecting drinking water, air, and medical tools. By following safe practices and researching expert UVC-compliance guidelines, we are able to have a working UVC booth that is proven effective on surface germ removal. The UVC light spectrum kills bacteria because the short length of the lightwaves penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, inhibits their reproduction, and causes die-off.
Rental returns are taken to our Sanitation Station. Gear is then loaded into our UVC light booth, or sanitized by hand with professional grade, WHO-approved sanitizers. We make sure our staff is ALWAYS wearing masks, gloves, and eye protection to keep themselves and our renters safe. Once the gear has been properly sanitized, it is ready for another job through our contactless curbside pickup. Don’t forget, we also do delivery and pickup! We’ve added some new info to our website regarding curbside pickup.
