Cleaning the headset with VR Cover Skin Friendly Wipes

Hygiene Advice When Sharing Your VR Headset

Cleaning the headset with VR Cover Skin Friendly Wipes

VR games are purposefully designed to get you on your feet and moving about. All this action produces sweat and condensation, making your VR headset the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Most VR headsets are typically designed with a highly absorbent PU leather or foam padding, making it almost impossible for a group of people to share a single headset hygienically. To combat this, you will need to do more than quickly wipe over your headset with a wet cloth. We’ve put together a complete guide on how to keep your VR headset clean, thus keeping yourself and those using your headset protected.

Skin Friendly VR Anti-Bacterial Wipes
Skin Friendly VR HMD Cleaning Wipes

Wiping down your VR headset can be a tricky process. Abrasive cloths, solvents, and detergents can damage the headset material and cause skin irritation. Therefore, you should only ever use specially designed VR headset wipes. These Skin Friendly VR HMD Cleaning Wipes are one of the safest and cheapest ways to quickly wipe down your headset. They are anti-bacterial, alcohol-free, hypoallergenic, and unscented. This makes them perfect for those with sensitive skin and for use on foam replacements that come in contact with your face.

Disposable VR Covers

Whether you’re sharing your VR headset with a friend or demonstrating VR to work colleagues or clients, disposable VR covers are the perfect solution to keep your VR headset clean and germ-free. Universal Disposable Hygiene Covers have been designed with highly absorbent cotton material to protect VR headset foam cushions from moisture, dirt, and bacteria. Attaching and removing the covers is quick and easy due to their adhesive backing.

Medical Grade Silicone Covers

Silicone Cover for Rift S

If you own an Oculus Quest or an Oculus Rift S, then medical-grade Silicone Covers are the perfect solution to keeping dirt and germs at bay. Crafted with high-quality, medical-grade silicone that is unoiled, hypoallergenic, and safe for the skin. The Quest and Rift S Silicone covers are easy to clean and also offer a layer of protection against wear and tear.

Wash Your Hands

It may seem like common sense, but washing your hands and face regularly can curb the transmission of germs, especially when sharing your VR headset. If you’re in a setting where you’re not able to wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer that contains over 70% alcohol volume. Alcohol-based hand-sanitizer can help to kill off bacteria, fungus, and some viruses, but it is worth noting that alcohol does not kill Norovirus or Rhinovirus. Therefore when possible, handwashing should always be the first choice. For correct hand-washing practice, follow the CDC's handwashing advice

Quarantine Your VR Headset

Universal VR Headset Cover

If you've shared your headset with someone who has a cold, flu, or other illness, the simplest way to avoid transmission is to leave your headset aside for a few days. According to NIH research SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) can survive for four hours on copper, up to a day on cardboard, up to two days on plastic, and three days on stainless steel. While the virus survives to two days on plastic, researchers emphasized it had a greatly reduced viral load at those durations. When quarantining your headset, use a Universal VR Headset Cover, this will help to prevent the build-up of dirt and dust whilst your headset is out of action.

Follow the Manufacturer Cleaning Instructions

Many headsets on the market come with washing/cleaning instructions from the manufacturer. We've included a list below of the most popular headsets cleaning instructions so you don't have to go searching the internet:

Oculus Quest Cleaning Instructions

Oculus Rift Cleaning Instructions

Oculus Go Cleaning Instructions

Oculus Rift S Cleaning Instructions

HTC Vive Cleaning Instructions

Samsung Odyssey and Odyssey Plus Cleaning Instructions

What to avoid when cleaning your VR headset

Don’t use harsh or abrasive chemicals such as alcohol, bleach. These can damage the fabric, plastic components, and lenses of your headset.

Don't wash your VR headset's foam cushioning or padding in the washing machine, unless specified on the manufacturers cleaning instructions. Most leather or foam pads will deform and twist in the washing machine, making it almost impossible for you to use them again.

Don't heat your headset. Whilst many advocate the use of heat for killing bacteria and viruses, heating your VR headset with a hair-dryer or leaving it in the sun can completely destroy it.

 


Ultimate Oculus Rift Cleaning Guide

Transcript:

“Begin with a dirty Oculus Rift.

Remove the original facial interface, give it a pull and it will pop out of place.

Wipe down the outer headset with antibacterial wipes. VR Cover’s wipes are alcohol and odour-free
making them skin-friendly and safe to use with your Rift.

Custom facial interfaces allow you to keep things clean easier, if necessary give the interface a wipe down.

For the lenses, give them a gentle rub with a clean microfiber cloth

PU leather foam replacements make life easier and can be wiped down between uses. They come in a variety of
different shapes, sizes and materials to suit different people and different scenarios

They’re simple to attach to the custom interface, and back on to the headset.

Now you’re Rift is looking fresh & ready to go.”

Product Links:

Oculus Rift Facial Interface & Foam Replacement Standard Set

Skin Friendly VR HMD Cleaning Wipes


Which VR Cover accessory is right for your HTC Vive?

After using your Vive for too many hours, having showed it off to too many friends and experienced a few of the less than pleasant scenarios that come with sharing a headset, it’s time to do something about it. Great, you’ve just found out we exist! We’ve been quietly adding to our HTC Vive product range for over a year and now offer eight different solutions, but which one is right for you? Here we take a look at benefits of the different products so you can make a more informed choice.

 

Combat Sweat


VR is great for working out. Whether you’re intentionally trying to shift some pounds or you just get a little carried away playing Holopoint, sweat is a real problem and one of the big reasons people begin looking for alternative accessories. Whereas you might assume our popular PU leather foam replacements would be best for this, we actually recommend otherwise. These three products will help to control sweating and allow you to enjoy the HTC Vive harder, and for longer than ever before.

 

HTC Vive Disposable Hygiene Cover Starter Kit – $15.00 Top Pick 

VVB

 

The disposable hygiene covers are made with a special moisture absorbing material making them perfect for sweaty VR sessions. The starter kit includes a ‘base foam’ that attaches to your Vive in place of the stock foam, the covers are then attached with a light adhesive for a secure fit. Don’t bother with the distracting, paper-thin ninja-masks.

 

 

HTC Vive VR Cover – $19.00 

 

Our first ever accessory for the HTC Vive is still much loved by the VR community. It’s a simple cotton cover that attaches with Velcro straps over the stock foam adding an extra layer of protection. The covers absorb sweat well and are machine washable. Available in grey, red & blue.

 

 

 

 

More Immersion


Believe it or not, you can make your HTC Vive experiences more immersive by using thinner foam. The stock foam is attached with Velcro and can easily be pulled off, give it a try and see what it’s like to use the Vive with no foam at all – pretty uncomfortable and blurry probably but you’ll get an idea of the difference in FOV (field of view) compared with using the stock foam. These two foam replacements will improve FOV without compromising comfort too much.

 

HTC Vive Foam Replacement 6mm – $29.00Top Pick

VVB

 

Our highly reviewed 6mm Foam Replacement brings your eyes closer to the lenses and pushes immersion to the max. It’s made from PU leather for easy cleaning and better suited for less active experiences where you aren’t likely to sweat too much. Share your Vive with friends and family often? This is the foam for you.

 

 

Improve Hygiene


If you regularly share your HTC Vive, whether it’s with friends and family at home, or you plan on using it at a demo with hundreds of people – hygiene has to be a major consideration. The stock foam on the HTC Vive can absorb sweat, dirt and germs that you don’t want to be sharing. Our PU leather foam replacements and covers have been scientifically tested to ensure no moisture is absorbed and the surface drys quickly using commercial antibacterial wipes.

 

HTC Vive Memory Foam Replacements 14mm – $29.00Top Pick
14mm

 

The 14mm Foam Replacement attaches to the headset with Velcro in place of the stock foam so is simple to attach and remove. The PU leather doesn’t absorb any moisture and can be easily cleaned with antibacterial wipes between uses. The memory foam offers similar comfort to the stock foam making it perfect for demoing the Vive.


HTC Vive VR Cover (Organic Cotton)

New Gear VR Memory Foam Replacement & Organic Cotton Vive VR Cover

New releases for the Samsung Gear VR (2016 Model) and HTC Vive are now online!

We have improved on our previous foam replacements for the Gear VR and have designed this especially for the 2016 model. While the stock foam that comes with the Gear VR offers a reasonable level of comfort, when it comes to sharing with friends and cleaning, you’re in trouble. Our waterproof foam replacements are designed to be easily wiped clean between uses, for the best hygiene practice we recommend non-alcoholic anti-bacterial wipes.

Samsung Gear VR Foam Replacement (Waterproof for Exhibitions) 2017/2018 Model

Whether you share your headset with friends, or use the Samsung Gear VR at events and exhibitions you will want to keep things clean and sweat free. For those who are active in VR and use one of the many exercise apps this is especially important. The stock foam absorbs sweat and can quickly become like a wet sponge during a workout.  Our new foam replacements just need the occasional wipe down and you can keep going for hours.

Samsung Gear VR Foam Replacement (Waterproof for Exhibitions) 2017 / 2018 

 

HTC Vive VR Cover Organic Cotton

We are also happy to announce our much loved Vive VR Cover has received an upgrade and is now made from organic cotton. It feels smooth just like our previous Vive VR Cover but in this case, it is made from fabric woven with organic cotton fibers so you can feel  good about your purchase too!

​​​​​​​

HTC Vive VR Cover Organic Cotton


How to prepare for a VR demo - an Infographic

how-to-demo-vr-htc-vive-oculus-rift-infographic2

Whether you’re a business trying to attract potential customers in a unique way or you’re simply preparing for a family games night, follow our Infographic guide to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Before you start, take some time to think about the experience you want to offer and the hardware you’re going to use. If you’re representing a business using VR at an event or exhibition the experience should be different to that which you might show to your family or friends. Consider how long you’d like each person to spend with the headset as well as the logistics of the demo, if you want to show the best of VR and offer a real immersive experience the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are the obvious choices but they do require much more preparation. Alternatively if you’re planning on showing something more simple such as 360 videos consider the Samsung Gear VR which is completely portable and simple to set up.

Don’t forget about hygiene! Whether the same headset is going to be used by hundreds of people in a day or you’re showing an active game to a group of friends, the stock headset foam can easily become disgusting with dirt, sweat and bacteria quickly building up. You’ve got a couple of options, disposable covers will improve hygiene but they’re not the most comfortable and can be distracting.

If you want a more professional looking set up consider the VR Cover PU leather foam replacements and covers. Available for the HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and now the Oculus Rift, by using PU leather replacements you don’t need to worry about changing covers between uses, simply wipe down with anti-bacterial wipes or create your own DIY natural headset cleaner to ensure the headset stays fresh and clean.


Oculus Rift Cover

VR Cover Black Friday Deals

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Oculus Rift Hygiene Solution

Get the new and improved nose free Oculus Rift VR Cover and the HTC Vive VR Cover now for $12 instead of $19 until next Monday.

Upgrade your VR HMD and enjoy a more comfortable and clean VR experience today.

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New washable velour foam replacement for the HTC Vive

HTC Vive Face Foam Pads

Today we launch our softest and most comfortable foam replacement for the HTC Vive so far.

It is made from a super soft velour fabric and memory foam. You basically sink into it and it can also be easily washed (wash cold / do not tumble dry).


Oculus Rift VR Cover

Stretchable Nosefree Oculus Rift VR Cover

Oculus Rift VR Cover Oculus Rift Cover Oculus Rift Hygiene Solution

Our previous VR Cover for the Oculus Rift also covers the space around the nose and prevents some of the light leaking in. This works well but some people felt it was irritating on their nose. This new version of our Oculus Rift VR Cover does not cover the nose part and is made from stretchable and softer fabric that sits a bit tighter on the Oculus Rift compared to our first version.

We have also improved the overall fit of the VR Cover and sent this version to a few people who experienced problems with our previous version and the feedback has been great.


HTC Vive Foam Replacement 14mm

New HTC Vive Replacement Foam Pads

HTC Vive Memory Foam Pad

Today we launch our softest and most comfortable replacement foam for the HTC Vive so far. It is memory foam and you basically sink into it. We recommend this to be used for any kind of sweaty Vive activity or when you show VR to a lot of people and want a hygiene solution that is quick and easy to clean.

The field of view remains the same as if you would use the standard / official HTC Vive face foam pads.


How to clean your Oculus Rift and HTC Vive

We expect virtual reality to revolutionize the gaming industry. Now that several VR headsets are available, more consumers can get their hands on this amazing technology. But some issues have been around since the beginning of time, and continue to plague VR users today. Such as bacteria. After you wear the headset for a few hours, or after a few days, it’s likely that these creatures will grow, especially on the foam cushions that touch your face.

The Oculus Rift foam, Gear VR foam, or HTC Vive foam can all be affected by sweat, which starts to have an odor when mixed with bacteria. How do you clean the VR headset’s foam?

We can help with that at VR Cover, and here is how: Our convenient covers keep your virtual reality headset clean and comfortable, by sliding over the foam areas to prevent them from having direct contact with your face. Much like a pillowcase, you can wash it with your regular laundry.

But let’s talk about the general problems and solutions to virtual reality headset hygiene. First, be aware that many sweat glands lie in the areas where these pieces of foam touch your face, so you want to be diligent about keeping your face as clean as possible.

Try cleaning your face with an antibacterial cleaning wipe before you put on the headset. You might even want to wear a headband or bandana when using your VR headset, to prevent sweat from running down into your face. And ladies, you probably want to forgo wearing makeup when you’re going to use your VR headset.

Oculus Rift Cleaning Instructions

The Oculus Rift foam stays attached to the headset, so here are some options for cleaning it:

A soft cloth to remove sweat and oils helps keep the foam clean. You can also use antibacterial wipes, but choose some made without alcohol or other abrasive ingredients. We recommend you not use any alcohol on your Oculus Rift foam.

You’ll want to clean the foam after each use, and make sure it’s completely dry before you use it again. But we don’t recommend using a hair dryer, or letting it dry in direct sunlight, which can degrade the material. See here for further Oculus Rift cleaning instructions.

Users of paintball helmets, and related activities, have dealt with this problem also, and some advice for them would apply to the VR headsets. One of their suggestions involved storing your helmet, (or VR headset) in an area with good air circulation. Keeping it in a trunk or closed up in a tote bag can contribute to odors.

HTC Vive Cleaning Instructions

In the User Guide, HTC Vive recommends that you remove the foam and clean it with a cloth and cold water. Gently wipe the area you want to clean, but don’t soak it in water or run water over it. Don’t use any kind of bleach. We recommend avoiding alcohol to clean the HTC Vive foam, as well.

After cleaning it with the cloth, simply let it air dry. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight, and don’t put it in the dryer.

At the end of the day, you have choices for how to keep your Virtual Reality headset clean. We at VR Cover strive to make things easier for you; have a look around the VR Cover website to see some options. With a few precautions, you can keep your VR headset clean and sanitary, so you can enjoy many hours of using it!