I trust that UV light works to kill germs so I’ve been using it on things I can’t wash, like the jewelry I sell. This wand uses batteries so you don’t have to worry about keeping it plugged in while using it — very handy. It does come with a USB cable, but not the charger so you’ll need that if you want to use that power option. You need to be sure to always have it pointed away from you when you are using it. I also wear my UV sunglasses when using it just to be safe. I let it sit over items for at least 10 seconds to really make sure it kills everything. This light is definitely brighter and more powerful than other UV wands I have used.