Japanese McDonald’s Restrooms Have Phone Cleaning Devices Built Into Their Sinks

The Sinks in a McDonald’s Restroom in Japan Have Phone Cleaning Devices

Photo: Screenshot from Twitter

Hand washing is taught from a very young age, and the recent height of the pandemic really reinforced its importance. But we don't give as much thought to the cleanliness of our phones, even though they pick up bacteria easily and can be 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat, according to scientists at the University of Arizona. To combat this spread of germs, and therefore disease, some public places have phone washing stations. Recently, a tweet featuring a phone cleaning station embedded in the sink of a McDonald's in Japan went viral, as it sanitizes the device in seconds.

The tweet, posted by user Sho Sawada (@shao1555), reads “At McDonald's nowadays, not only do they have a place to wash your hands but one to wash your smartphone as well.” The tweet is accompanied by an illustrative video, showing exactly how this feature works. In the video, we can see the user placing the phone in a narrow slot. The device is lowered automatically and covered, as a light shines through the lid of the cleaning station while the phone is disinfected. Once it's ready, the machine ejects the phone slowly, ready to be taken by its owner.

This nifty system is called WOSH, and was developed by Japanese company WOTA. Its wonders go beyond the phone cleaning device, as it also boasts that it reuses more than 98% of the water it uses. To clean the smartphone, WOSH relies on a hydrological cycle system and deep ultraviolet lights, offering a sterilization of up to 99.9% in just 30 seconds.

While seeing WOSH in action definitely has a futuristic vibe to it, it would be ideal for such technology to be adopted around the world. If the reaction to this video—which has over 5.2 million views; 63,400 likes; and 11,900 retweets—is any indication, it would be a welcome addition to restrooms around the world. After all, adding this extra layer of hygiene is another way to take care of our global health.

A phone cleaning station embedded in the sink of a McDonald's in Japan recently made waves online, as it sanitizes the device in seconds.

The Sinks in a McDonald’s Restroom in Japan Have Phone Cleaning Devices

Photo: jannystockphoto/Depositphotos

Named WOSH, the device relies on a hydrological cycle system and deep ultraviolet lights, offering a sterilization of up to 99.9% in just 30 seconds. See it in action in the video below.

WOTA: Website
h/t: [Neatorama]

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Regina Sienra

Regina Sienra is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Based in Mexico City, Mexico, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with specialization in Journalism from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has 10+ years’ experience in Digital Media, writing for outlets in both English and Spanish. Her love for the creative arts—especially music and film—drives her forward every day.
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