This Disinfecting Kitchen Light Sounds Too Good to Be True! (But It Isn’t!)

Lisa Freedman
Lisa FreedmanExecutive Lifestyle Director
Lisa Freedman is the Executive Lifestyle Director at The Kitchn. She has never met a cheese or a washi tape she didn't like. She lives in New York state with her husband and their pup, Millie.
updated May 1, 2019
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(Image credit: Emma Fiala)

We are big fans of under-cabinet lighting. Because, no matter how good your overhead lights are, you are almost always going to have shadows on your counters. You know, where you’re using sharp knives and actually need to see what you’re doing!

While you can easily add simple lighting for $35 or less, we just came across another super-cool option. It’ll cost you a little more (at least it’s currently on sale for Amazon Prime Day!), but it will do one thing other lights don’t: disinfect your countertops.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Ellumi is a line of under-cabinet LED lights that can actually kill bacteria. Researchers have proven that specific wavelengths found in Ellumi can eliminate up to 99 percent of germs on surfaces. We’re talking things like Strep, E. coli, and Salmonella. (More on that later.)

Buy: Ellumi, from $66

And as part of Amazon Prime Day, the lights are currently on sale, now through July 25. Choose from various sizes (there’s a nine-, 12-, 18- and 24-inch option) based on the lengths of your cabinets. You can link up to six units together (to light the whole way) and they’re actually incredibly easy to install; you can either plug them in or hardwire them into your electrical work if you’re handy.

Here are the details on the sale.

Some Science-y Stuff

During a 2016 study, a hospital trauma room was swabbed in five different locations, three different times: before LED lights (with specific wavelengths) were installed, two weeks after they were installed, and 15 weeks after installation. Researchers made sure the room was used fairly consistently throughout the study. “This study demonstrates that the LED disinfecting lights significantly reduced the microbial surface contamination in a trauma room at 15 weeks, even when room usage increased,” the report concludes.

The data suggest that while the LEDs might not create immediate results, they are effective over time when it comes to reducing the overall microbial contamination.

We’re not saying you can install these lights and then start cutting raw chicken on your counter before chopping a melon. But you can use your counters as you usually would and have a little extra backup — in the form of lights that brighten up your kitchen.

What do you think? Would you give these a try?