Germs lurk on pretty much any public surface and the epicenter of all germs seems to reside in public restrooms, so we understand why so many of our customers want to reduce them if at all possible.  We are frequently asked:

“I’d like to reduce germs as customers are exiting the restroom in my facility. What are my options?”

The problem with public restrooms is that even if you scrub your hands clean, you typically still have to use your hands to exit the room, and then you have the worry of whether or not the person who exited before you actually washed their own hands. This is one of the reasons hands-free restroom access kits and antimicrobial door pulls are so helpful in the fight against germs.

Antimicrobial Door Pulls

If you would like to go a more cost efficient route when it comes to germ reduction, antimicrobial door pulls might be the answer you’ve been searching for. The CuVerro hands-free pull made by Trimco is an excellent option. While it’s on the higher end of the cost scale compared to a standard door pull, it’s still considerably less expensive than a hands-free restroom access kit.

The device allows you to avoid touching the door pull with your hands at all. Instead, when exiting the bathroom, this particular door pull is designed so that a patron just slides his or her forearm behind the pull. Instead of wrapping your hand around the door pull, your forearm (and potentially less germy part of your arm) pulls the door toward you, allowing you to exit without ever placing your actual hand on the door.

Plus, the CuVerro door pulls are made from a copper-based alloy that kills more than 99.9% of bacteria within two hours. So, even if germy hands come in contact with the pull, you don’t necessarily need to wipe it down with Lysol or at least, not as frequently. This aspect alone could rake in a small amount of savings.

Hands-Free Restroom Access Kit

If cost isn’t an issue, the hands-free restroom access kit is an exceptional choice. With it, when you want to exit, you simply wave your hand in front of the no-touch actuator and the door swings open on its own.

The hands-free restroom access kit comes equipped with a motion sensor that trips a relay when a patron’s hand swipes in front of it. This, then, triggers a relay in the door operator, opening the door and letting you exit with potentially germ-free hands. Since you never actually touch the motion sensor and simply wave your hand in front of it, you are able to avoid touching anything after washing your hands.

With the hands-free restroom access kit you also have the option of having employees buzz patrons into the restroom which can provide additional help with not only germs, but vagrancy issues as well. With this option, you don’t have to have any contact with the door on entering, and it remains locked until the employee gives the go-ahead.

Providing options that allow the reduction of germs might cost you a little more than average up front, but those expenses will level out once you start seeing the savings you’ll be compiling in the long run. If you have any questions on either of these options, please don’t hesitate to contact LockNet. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have!