Handsfree Dispenser

Our hands touch so many things throughout the day. They help us carry items to and fro, they push buttons and hold us steady when we have to cling to handrails and stair rails. As a result, they become full of germs and viruses that come from people who are infected.

When we forget to wash up before eating, we can get very sick. That is why there are many gadgets today that can help minimize touching infected items. One of these are hands free door openers that eliminate the need to touch door handles that other people have already laid their hands on.

      The prevention of the superbug MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus), can be accomplished by proper handwashing and avoiding cross-contamination. The use of sensor-operated toilet flushers, automatic soap dispensers, touch free towel dispensers, automatic faucets, and hands free door openers prevents illness.      

     Now there is research that indicates that “manuka” honey shows promise for treating wounds infected with MRSA.  The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds in a review of 22 clinical trials verified that honey quickly heals wounds, protects against further infection, reduces swelling, minimizes scarring, helps remove infected and dead tissue, and stimulates new tissue growth. The best course is still prevention.

Public bathrooms can vary in cleanliness, but for the most part are a breeding ground for harmful germs and bacteria. Touching the door handles, flush handles and faucets spreads and picks up germs that can make you sick. It’s usually necessary to touch the faucet in order to wash your hands. But this isn’t the case with automatic faucets.

Automatic faucets turn on when a person holds their hands underneath the spout. The water comes out  and the faucet turns off when the person removes their hands. These faucets help keep hands clean and avoid germ contact.  Automatic faucets are available for commercial and home use.

Some jobs are tougher than others. Working on a farm is one of those. Since I was a freshman in high school I have spent every summer working on my uncle’s pig farm. He and his wife own a 6,000-acre farm with more than 800 pigs. They raise the pigs to slaughter for ham, bacon and many other pork products. Raising pigs demands a lot of clean up.

That’s where I come in; I have to clean out all of the piglet’s stalls. The little ones are separated from the adults at birth because adult male pigs are aggressive towards younger males. Those piglets make quite and mess and stink! I start be shoveling out their pens, then I spray down the floor, and finally, I add more hay for them to nest in. I get so dirty sometimes that it’s hard to scrub off in the shower. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have sanitary gloves to wear at work.

             Today October 15 has been declared Global Handwashing Day. This should go a long way in stressing handwashing to prevent cross-contamination and illness.

     Who doesn’t have to use a public restroom at one time or another? The answer is just about everyone or We The Public. We have become more aware of germs in restrooms probably because of the threat of MRSA, the methicillin resistant staph aureus, bacteria. After washing our hands and drying them, it becomes apparent that we then have to exit by touching the door. Technology has solved that problem by providing us with a variety of touch free devices that can open  doors for us.    Some facilities like airports and movie theatres have eliminated doors altogether by installing the “S” curve entry and exit.

     Motion sensors and remote controls are automated answers to the hands free door opener. There is also a method that uses a foot bracket on the door bottom whereby one can step and pull the door.  Arm grasping handles attached to doors avoid hand contact thereby preventing cross-contamination.  Exiting a public restroom is the weak link in the chain of hygiene.  A hands free door opener is the solution.

Most MRSA infections produce the following symptoms

Cellulitis- Infection of the skin or underlying tissue. Small, red bumps.

Boils- Pus- filled infections of hair follicles

Sty-Eyelid gland infection

Abcess-Pus collections under the skin

Impetigo-A skin infection with pus- filled blisters

Carbuncles-larger than an abcess, usually with several openings to the skin

Disinfectant wipes can be used to kill MRSA

MRSA is a bacterium belonging to a group known as Staphylococci. It is re

     Many different germs live in public restrooms on soap dispensers, towel dispensers, flush handles, sink handles and door handles.  Handsfree dispensers and touchless devices are the answer to avoiding contact with these illness causing germs while handwashing and exiting the restroom.

 by Amy Bauer R.D.H.

After breakfast, it’s off to work. What a great day! I get to be on door knobs, steering wheels, phones, pens, food, and much more. When hands handshake, I am in Germ Heaven! I’m good as long as those hands go unwashed. Whoever coined the phrase ‘the great unwashed” tried to tell us something.