How to clean Laser Tag Equipment

How to clean laser tag equipment has always been a topic that invites many questions, and the topic has garnered more interest amid the pandemic. To safely clean laser tag equipment and ensure that it’s safe for players to use, there are some essential distinctions we need to make. When we talk about how to clean laser tag equipment, there are three classifications of cleaning that are associated with it:

Sanitation
Disinfection
Sterilization

In the past, our recommendation leaned towards sanitation as the primary method to clean laser tag equipment. A simple cleaning routine, our recommendation was to wipe down the equipment with a soapy water solution and let it dry once a week. Since COVID, however, disinfection and sterilization have become the primary methods for cleaning laser tag equipment.

What’s the difference between the two?

Disinfection is destroying viruses, bacteria, and fungi on surfaces that come into contact with clients. It leaves surfaces highly unlikely to transmit infection or cause diseases, making it an ideal option to clean laser tag equipment.

According to CDC guidelines, cleaning and disinfection are the main recommendations for community buildings.

Sterilization is the destruction of all microscopic life on a surface. Usually reserved for hospitals and clinical settings, but less useful for cleaning laser tag equipment. Sterilization is risky for entertainment centers as it’s not practical. The process requires harsh chemicals or specialized UV-C lights, which aren’t feasible long-term for cleaning laser tag equipment.

How to clean laser tag equipment during COVID-19?

Before the pandemic, we would recommend sanitation as part of routine maintenance and cleaning and eliminates odors. However, in COVID-19 times, we would recommend disinfection as a method to clean laser tag equipment.

Check out the EPA’s 6 Steps for Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use guide for many tips on disinfection.

Some ways to clean laser tag equipment could include:

Alcohol-based wipes containing at least 70% alcohol, combined with Armor All-Weather leather conditioner wipes for vests.
Disinfecting sprays – EPA List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus
Fogger machines to disinfect larger areas (this is normally done before customers arrive during the day or before closing at night)
If you’re considering using bleach, we’d advise caution. It’s best to use a diluted solution (i.e., 5 tablespoons (⅓ Cup) of 5.25% – 8.25% bleach per gallon of room temperature water) if you decide to.

To clean laser tag equipment, you can use the methods above on the phasers and the vests that contact the player. You will want to ensure you are conditioning the vest’s leather portion twice per week to keep it from drying out. In terms of the warranty, while we don’t know what the long-term effects of deep cleaning will be on equipment, we currently aren’t seeing deterioration on items or any cause for concern.

A quick note on fogger machines

Fogger machines are useful for cleaning large swaths of arenas and disinfecting overnight and However, and there are some concerns to keep in mind. It would help if you used a CDC-approved disinfectant with the machines, and employees with respiratory issues such as asthma should not use these machines to clean laser tag equipment. As always, we would recommend looking at CDC guidelines for community buildings to devise a strategy for cleaning laser tag equipment.

Make cleaning part of the experience.

Concerns around how to clean laser tag equipment and other attractions are imperative to a successful reboot. Guests want to see your cleaning measures while they are in the building. With Delta Strike’s vesting rack system, arenas have used the remote control color change feature to show clients which vests are cleaned and ready for use and which ones should not be used.