Could these two products reduce the spread of germs in the hospital?

But two new products aim to reduce the amount of germs spread by focusing on altering the handles themselves rather than relying on those using the doors to take necessary precautions.

A New Kind of Coating

The first development is Alasept, a new antibacterial and antiviral coating that can be used to coat stainless steel door knobs and handles. In fact, the coating can be used on any stainless steel surface and prevents germs from sticking to the surfaces. Additionally, the maker of the coating — Hafele — says the coating doesn’t break down over time.

“The Alasept coating is extremely hard and scratch resistant and works around the clock,” said the company, according to Core77.com. “It is not reduced by impact or by wear from finger rings. The fittings can be easily and quickly cleaned with commercially available acid-free cleaning products.”

The makers hope the coating will be used not only in healthcare workplaces, but also in schools, hotels and other institutions.

A New Kind of Handle

For a different approach, PullClean is a new type of handle altogether — one that has a hand sanitizer dispenser made right into the handle. The handle can be installed on any “pull door” and works essentially the same way as any other public hand sanitizer dispenser, except it performs double duty as a door handle.

Additionally, the handle comes with software that records how often the sanitizer is being used, and creates alerts when the replaceable cartridges are running low. These handles will be available later this year.

What do you think? Is one of these solutions better than the other? Should hospitals use both? Will either actually cut down on the spread of germs? Let us know in the comments below.