How do you keep your virtual reality headset clean? No doubt, virtual reality headset hygiene is a major concern for most users of VR headset technology. If you are a VR headset user, you should know how to keep your headset clean. Especially the parts that are in contact with your skin because nobody likes to be immersed in virtual reality words while having a sticky and dirty device stuck in the face.
Keeping your headset clean needs to address three major problem areas – the ‘dry’ (skin, scalp, and hair), the ‘wet’ (sweat, oils and makeup/hair products), and the ‘unusual’ (lice/eggs, earwax and others). Why is keeping your VR headset clean so important?
VR headsets can be a mediums of transmission for all sorts of nasty bacteria. To prevent this, headsets will need more than a quick wipe-over to make them clean again. The transmission of bacteria is not unusual for devices worn in direct contact with the skin. For some times now, the 3D cinema industry has been trying to address the hygiene issues, especially as their 3D glasses are in the hands of very young users. The first method being used today to address the hygiene issues are dish-washer style systems for large 3D cinema installations and the second are less invasive ultraviolet light sterilization process.
Before virtual reality headset cover were invented in 2014, people faced major challenges for virtual reality headset hygiene. Back in 1995, the team that started the Disney GatorVision carried out exhaustive research to find out the best way to operate a VR headset and show their demos and games on exhibitions. This demanded that those headsets could be easily cleaned.
Keeping a VR headset clean is a tricky issue. This is partly due to the need to avoid abrasive cloths and solvent in the cleaning process. However, baby wipes (wet wipes) are an option, especially if they are used with a cover for the VR HMD. It is important to ensure that the wipes do not have alcohol, solvents, or other chemicals that may affect the headset or the user.
The needs of VR headset users who may be allergic, as well as the damage to the actual VR headset components are some other challenges virtual reality headset hygiene faces. It is important to consider VR headset comfort for users as well. The interactions between some solvents, dev-kit plastics, and lenses need to be carefully considered. It is advisable not to use unsuitable cleaning products, especially for headset like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR. When cleaning these headsets, care should be taken and it is good not to use a window cleaning product that some people are using to clean down a lens while ignoring the issue that the liquid in question may cause skin irritation.
For some headsets like the Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2, as well as some other VR headsets, there was a challenge as to how to clean the padding or face-liner and the cloth strap for the head. Before now, there seemed to be no immediate answer to that. But, one solution that has been recommended are virtual reality headset cover and face foam padding replacements.
Can current VR headsets be used in a hygienic way at the moment?
Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift are the two headsets currently making waves for their ergonomic features of the HMD that make them comfortable to use and easy to clean.
They are built to promote hygiene and are easy to maintain for users. Both headsets have made with removable foam liner and cover are available for them.
One good thing that users will love about them is the padding that lines the users facial interface of the HMD and is easy to remove and clean. With the removable foam padding and covers, the difficulty in keeping VR headsets clean has improved dramatically.
With these two latest VR headsets, the concern about virtual reality headset hygiene has become more important for everyone. If you love virtual reality and are someone who is concerned about keeping your headset clean, the progress towards removable face foam and covers that are available for the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift are major improvements over older more outdated virtual reality headsets.
Darren Smith writes about hygiene solutions for virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or Gear VR. The foam of VR headsets is in direct contact with the user’s face and easily gets dirty through oil and sweat from the skin. New ideas and hygiene solutions for VR are needed to keep VR headsets clean and comfortable to use.
htcvive 