Anyone who regularly listens to the news has heard reports about the growing threat of infectious diseases such as Ebola, MRSA, E coli, Clostridium difficile (Diarrhea) and influenza (I.e. H1N1), to name a few. Some of these germs have been referred to antibiotic resistant “Superbugs”. Health research experts estimate that 80% of infectious diseases are spread through direct contact,specifically, “Touch”. One major contact surface which has been identified as a conduit for these germs is door hardware (Knobs, handles, levers, etc).
British researchers have determined that copper and copper alloys such as brass and bronze are 90-100% effective in killing harmful microbial organisms in clinical settings. It has been proven that copper kills bacteria at the cellular level, thus earning it recognition as an effective “Antimicrobial”. Hospitals and clinics in the U.K. have responded to these findings and have been installing hardware fixtures containing copper or copper alloys, and other biostatic metal compounds such as silver.
Why are we discussing this topic? The door hardware industry in the U.S. is currently responding to this need by launching new product lines containing copper, copper alloys, or ionic silver. These hardware products range from solid metal objects to hardware that utilizes nanocoatings (Thinly applied antimicrobial nanoparticles). The initial products have focused primarily on clinical applications, but residential product lines are emerging and growing in popularity.
We offer a complete line of commercial antimicrobial hardware, as well as, residential antimicrobial products.