7 VR Hygiene Best Practices to Adopt Now

Hygiene has always been important, especially when it comes to VR. After all, you can have more than one training session a day where multiple people are using the same equipment to complete a course. But as we move forward in the post-COVID-19 world, it’s important for organizations to enhance and promote VR sanitization processes whenever possible. To that end, here are our VR hygiene best practices you can implement in your training rooms today.

7 VR Hygiene Best Practices

Wash Your Hands and Face
Washing your hands and face before and after a VR training experience is the first line of defense in preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria. It’s also the first step that anyone should take to keep headsets and controllers safe and in a clean condition. If you don’t have access to a sink or soap, consider having hand sanitizer handy in your VR training workroom and stations.

Hand sanitizer should not replace hand and face washing, but having it accessible in your training room will encourage trainees and facilitators to use it. It will also help cut down on the spread of germs from people coming into and leaving the room.

Use Non-Alcoholic Disinfectant Wipes
Using non-alcoholic disinfectant wipes is one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to sanitize your VR headsets and controllers. Headsets and controllers should be wiped down before and after every use and once again before putting them away for the day.

Make sure to have wipes readily available in your training room to encourage trainees and facilitators to practice proper VR hygiene. Just make sure to remind trainees and facilitators not to use the wipes on the lens as it can cause permanent damage. Instead, use microfiber cloths.

Check out this link to order non-alcoholic disinfectant wipes for your training room.

Invest in a UVC Disinfectant Appliance
UVC, also known as ultraviolet C, is an invisible light ray in the range of 250-280 nm that destroys bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. It does this by penetrating the cells of microorganisms and disrupting the structure of the DNA molecules. Once the UVC touches the microorganisms, they lose their ability to reproduce and spread.

Most medical facilities have already started using UVC to combat the spread of fungi and the like, and now this technology has become available for VR. A good UVC disinfectant appliance to invest in is Cleanbox. This is essentially a box that blasts directional lighting into all the crevices of the headsets you place into it. It only takes a minute and it’s more effective than wipes, 99.9% to be exact.

Purchase Disposable VR Face Masks
Adding disposable VR face masks to your repertoire of hygiene best practices will enhance your VR cleanliness procedures. VR headsets typically come with a spongy foam material that collects sweat, make-up, or anything that’s on your face.

While a disinfectant wipe will kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria on the surface of your headset, a disposable VR face mask will help your trainees feel safer and add another layer of protection. Consider it as another line of defense that helps curtail the spread of germs and bacteria.

You can purchase these disposable VR face masks on Amazon, here’s a link to our favorite brand.

Consider Replacement Headset Face Cushions
Not to be confused with disposable VR face masks, a replacement headset face cushion is used in place of the standard face covers found in headsets. Because standard face cushions are often made with spongy material, they can be hard to clean and wipe off.

Replacement headset face cushions make it easier to clean these pieces regardless of how many people use them. Consider pairing replacement headset face cushions with disposable face masks to double up on protection.

We recommend purchasing HTC VIVE Pro Foam Replacement 16mm covers.

Tap into Your Facilitators
Most organizations have an onsite facilitator who tells trainees how to use the equipment in the VR training room. Tapping into your facilitator to educate trainees on proper VR hygiene etiquette is a great way to ensure that your VR equipment is well maintained and sanitized. For example, a facilitator can show trainees how to put a disposable face mask on a VR headset.

Post VR Hygiene Procedure Signs 
This one might seem like common sense, but it’s still worth going over. Every organization has its procedure for how trainees are to use the VR training room. Adding VR hygiene to your procedure and documenting it via a sign in the room is a great way to make sure that everyone is on the same page. To make it more impactful, consider turning the sign into an infographic that provides a step-by-step guide for VR cleanliness.

Proper VR sanitization is vital whether or not there is a global pandemic. Our VR hygiene best practices will help you promote a culture of safety and cleanliness in your organizations — helping your employees feel safe and protected when using a VR headset.

Disclaimer: We strongly recommend following all CDC and government guidance with regard to social distancing and reopening work sites. This guide is only to be used for informational purposes and should not be considered a comprehensive strategy on its own for limiting or avoiding transmission of any diseases.

Want to learn more about how you can rollout procedural VR training in your organization? Download Improving Process Training Outcomes with VR.