
AntifreezeĪutomotive antifreeze used in car radiators has fluorescing agents included in it purposely – you can even see the “glow” in regular light. In homes with pets or small children, it is very important to make sure these things are cleaned up because they can be dangerous if ingested. This is useful if vitamin capsules or crushed tablets are spilled onto the carpet. VitaminsĬertain vitamins, namely vitamin A and B (niacin, thiamine, riboflavin) will glow bright yellow under a black light.
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If the bathroom is your next cleaning project, check out our post, How To Wash Bathroom Rugs. Just like laundry detergents, whitening toothpaste and whitening products contain compounds that glow a light blue when under a black light. Lemon juice will glow a light bluish-green under a black light. So, you can use a black light to make your gin & tonic glow blue – and to find the spills after the party! Lemon Juiceĭid someone spill a glass of lemonade or a bottle of lemon juice in your house? Use a black light to see where the spill is and make sure it all gets cleaned up. Quinine has chemical properties that cause it to fluoresce light blue under UV light.

It is also a medication used to treat malaria. Quinine is commonly found in tonic water and other beverages. If some liquid detergent is spilled onto a carpet, a black light could be used to check where the spill is and whether it was cleaned thoroughly. These whitening agents fluoresce under a black light, which can cause light-colored clothing to glow blue because of the residue left by the detergent. Some laundry detergents and other laundry products contain whitening agents in them. Forensics investigators commonly spray luminol around crime scenes, so they are able to use a black light to detect blood.ĭoes your carpet have some funky smells coming from it? You might like our post, Carpet Smells Like Stinky Feet? Here’s What To Do. Blood by itself will not glow under a black light, but it does react with a chemical called luminol which will cause it to glow. Many people do this when they are cleaning up after a dog or cat who has been marking their territory inside the house. And this is not limited to human bodily fluids – animal fluids will glow under a black light as well. This includes blood, saliva, urine, and semen. With the help of a black light, your house may be cleaner than it ever has been before. Some may even surprise you! Discovering these otherwise hidden spills and stains can significantly help your cleaning process. Now let's cover an extensive list of substances that glow under a black light. What Substances Glow Under A Black Light? You will want to use a light that specifies it is an ultraviolet light to get the correct effect.Ĭheck out this UV flashlight black light on Amazon. The glow is best seen in the darkness, so turn off all the lights in the room to get the best light conditions for stain detection. UV light excites certain particles and causes them to fluoresce, which produces the glow. UV light is outside the visible range for humans, so items that can be seen under UV light usually cannot be seen by humans in normal light.

This post will help you get your carpet as clean as possible!Ī “ black light” is a type of light bulb that emits ultraviolet (UV) light. Using a black light is a useful way to see what kinds of substances may be lingering in your carpet even after cleaning it or to check if a spill was cleaned properly and thoroughly. Some foods (turmeric, certain oils, honey, ketchup).Things that commonly show up under a black light are: If you are wondering what kinds of stains and substances you can check for with a black light, we have outlined these for you. But exactly what kinds of substances will appear? We've done the research to bring you the answer. Something black lights are commonly used for is detecting stains and spills that cannot be seen under regular light. Black lights are probably best known for accompanying glowing hippie posters and being the main lighting for rave parties, but they have many practical uses as well.
