These days, everything is becoming hands free. Cell phones, Tesla cars, and just about every item you have to touch in the public restroom. Most people understand the efficacy of hands-free soap dispensers and faucets, reducing contact with germs before, during, and once finished with the physical washing of the hands. But how much bacteria are we actually avoiding with all these no-touch devices?
- Soap dispensers
- About 25% of dispensers in public restrooms are coated by fecal bacteria
- Soap dispensers are rarely cleaned and end up harboring germs (ironic, right?)
- The bottom of dispensers are constantly touched by dirty hands, collecting and feeding millions of bacteria
- Even if you’re about to wash your hands with the soap you still dispensed, it’s nice not to have to come in contact with those festering germ cultures in the first place.
- Faucets
- Since you cannot wash your hands before turning on the sink, faucet handles harbor tons of bacteria, sometimes including coliform bacteria, e-coli, and even staph.
- There are sometimes up to 229,000 germs per square inch on the handles of frequently used faucets.
- Paper towel dispenser
- Some dispensers can harbor up to 50 times more bacteria than the average public restroom toilet seat.
- Door knob
- Bathroom door handles are actually one of the least germy surfaces in the bathroom
- Though not everyone washes their hands after using the restroom, the majority do
- Even still, germs need a moist, warm environment to survive and cannot live for more than one to two hours on a hard, dry surface such as the door handle.
- Flush handle
- Flush handles generally have around 83 bacteria per square inch.
- Some flush handles harbor as many bacteria as are found on the floor. This is often due to those who flush the toilet with their foot rather than using their hand.
Even more than just what is listed, there are so many places in the bathroom where germs and bacteria collect and multiply. Many would prefer not to touch any of these surfaces if possible and appreciate when restrooms have no-touch, hands-free, or automatic devices instead. Think of all those germs you aren’t coming into contact with.
Next we all need to get hand-free or antimicrobial door pulls to reduce contact with dirty doors!
For help purchasing and installing hands-free or automatic devices in your business’s restroom, contact a representative at Business Hygiene today! We can inform you of your options for transforming your restroom into a hands-free environment with minimal contact with dirty surfaces.