I’ll admit it. A black light flashlight is fun to play with. But aside from the novelty aspect they also have a variety of practical uses inside the house and out that you never thought of! The flashlights are very inexpensive and small so you can easily carry one with you. Read on and learn just how helpful a black light flashlight can be. By the way, it would be a perfect addition to a Well Organized Junk Drawer. We put ours in our “Mini Toy Box in a Drawer for Adults and Kids.”
A word of warning though… in some cases ignorance can indeed be bliss. Just saying.
Black Light Basics
Without boring you with a bunch of scientific stuff, basically a black light emits ultraviolet rays which are invisible to the human eye. It makes any item glow if it contains phosphors. Phosphors are any substance that absorbs energy and re-emits it as visible light. All you need to know is that there are many things that have phosphors. This is what makes a black light flashlight useful.
Black Light Flashlight
There are many options for black light flashlights. Most small ones run between $7 and $15. Depending on what you want to use it for, you may opt to pay more for a larger one. Here is a UV marker you can use to protect your property. We talk about that below under security.
Uses for Your Black Light
Is Your Money Fake?
Newer money has been equipped with florescence of bands that show up under a black light.
Pet Stains
Anyone who’s watched a crime show is probably aware that body fluids show up under a black light. Hence they are great for detecting pet stains.
Security
In case of theft your valuables can easily be traced to you if you’ve marked them with a special UV marker.
We used this UV Pen. PEN
Allow the ink to dry before touching.
Ink can be removed with cotton ball and alcohol. 
How Clean Are Your Hands?
Kids not washing their hands good enough? Give ’em the old black light test!
Shopping for Used Furniture
Checking out Craig’s List for a used couch? Pack your black light for some on the spot icky stain sleuthing.
Inspecting for Mold
Yep, mold is full of phosphors hence you can easily detect it by shining your black light flashlight onto it. Another good idea of your buying a home.
Buying a Home
A black light will come in handy for checking for a variety of things, the aforementioned mold being one of them. On the slightly more disturbing side you could also tell if there are blood stains on the floor.
i can smell mold in my house cannot find it will this work ??? but husband thinks it is not true but i can walk in and smell mold…help
This works to show mold if its not hidden behind things. So it’s certainly a good start!
Great ideas! I also saw on YouTube that you can use a black light at night to pull the harmful tomato worms off the plants at night because they are almost impossible to spot during the day as the blend into the foliage.
Well that’s something unique I never heard of! lol. Thanks Rosanne!
I just bought a UV Flashlight with rechargeable battery (plugs into any USB under power to charge) last 12 hours and 12 hours to charge. I used it in the bathroom. Oh wow needs cleaned. i can see where the house builders repaired holes in the drywall, specs of lint on my black sweater, teeth that have been capped and remaining original teeth show up bright white. Stained t- shirts, pants all show up under black light. Fun in the bedroom to when its a flashlight
great ideas! bought a black light for cat stains…..unfortunately, tho I think my house is clean, welllllll…….there are tons of “stains” and I shudder to think just exactly what they are and where they came from! yes, sometimes, ignorance is BLISS!! LoL
Yeah that black light can be a double edges sword! We just got a puppy and I pulled mine out to check for any spots I may have missed while were potty training him. Thanks for stopping by Kat!
Pingback: Mini Toy Box in a Drawer for Adults & Kids | OPP
Interesting! I’ve never seen the black light pens before to mark belongings. That’s a really neat trick!
Appreciate your stopping by Meg!
I just bought a black light mainly for searching for scorpions. I’ve lived in the desert for about 18 years of my life, and this is the first house I’ve lived in that seems to have a scorpion issue. None found in the house yet, thank goodness.
Yep they work on those bugs for sure. Interesting isn’t it? I grew up in Arizona so I know what you mean. Ü Thanks Brandi for the comment!
Neat. We talked about bringing one on vacation for hotels but I’m afraid I’d never want to sleep in one again….
Yeah… there is something to that “ignorance is bliss” concept for certain things. ☼4 Thanks for stopping by Joanne!
Wow some good ideas! I’m going to start inspecting my kids hands! Ha
lol! Thanks Lara for stopping by!