Ingenious two-step process allows you to clean your hands and your smartphone at the same time. 

Stepping into a public restroom in Japan can be like stepping into the future, with hi-tech toilets, relaxing waterscapes and contraptions that measure your fatigue levels.

Now there’s another unusual feature to keep an eye out for when visiting the restroom in Japan– smartphone cleaners by the washbasins. This “Smartphone and Hands Two-Step Sterilisation” system allows you to clean your smartphone and wash your hands at the same time, so that once you’ve cleaned your hands, you’ll be able to pick up your sterilised phone with germ-free fingers.

It’s an ingenious idea that’s incredibly easy to use, as demonstrated by Twitter user Sho Sawada (@shao1555), who came across the wash basin at a McDonald’s in Japan. 

▼ Take a look at Sawada’s video showing the system in action below.

Sawada says the video was shortened for viewers as it takes about 30 seconds for the UV light to “clean” the phone, but 30 seconds is the recommended time for proper hand-washing, making this the perfect setup.

The creators of the two-in-one cleaning system is a Japanese company called Wota, who’s named the washstand “Wosh“. Their motto is “water freedom for everyone, everywhere”, and their video for the product shows it can be used outside of bathrooms and even outdoors as well.

A number of companies around Japan have been keen to use Wosh at their establishments, including McDonald’s, who installed it at their newly opened Urawa Misono branch in Saitama Prefecture. They say customers enjoy using the washstand, and its unique design helps to aid communication between staff and customers at the store, creating a relaxed and friendly point of conversation.

It’s like chatting by the water cooler, if a water cooler could clean your smartphone at the same time. Hey — now that’s a million-dollar idea for a creative entrepreneur to take on!

Related: Wota Wosh
Source: Twitter/@shao1555 via Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Twitter/@shao1555 
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