Killer Clothing Bursts Bad Bacteria

The Handler

Your hands are always doing the dirty work. There isn't a surface or object that is completely void of germs.

That's one of the reasons health experts have always trumpeted the importance of washing hands in preventing the transmission of disease.

"Good hand hygiene can make an impact on infection," said Fishman.

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But what if you just don't touch anything? The Handler, a key chain-sized device that releases a rubber hook to grip door handles and press buttons, is advertised as an alternative to more traditional cold and flu prevention methods.

"The idea with the Handler is that it basically puts a barrier in between your hands and surfaces like ATM buttons and the keypads at checkout lanes," said Bill Schlueter of Launchpad Public Relations, which promotes the device.

But what about the germs that latch onto the Handler? Nanosilver.

"The Handler has a minute amount of nanosilver infused in the plastic," said Schlueter. "It's a self-sanitizing device."

However, Fishman was less than enthused.

"This borders on the obsessive-compulsive," Fishman said. "Other than reinforce phobias, I don't think this is a useful product to significantly decrease infections."

Fishman asserted that the routine washing of hands is better at stopping the spread of disease.

Schlueter said that the Handler is meant to prevent sicknesses at the individual level and that each person has his or her own "degree of germ-consciousness. The whole idea behind the Handler is that you don't take the chance of getting [germs] on your hand in the first place."

Photos: Unotron, Inc. (Keyboard and Mouse); Dr. Juan Hinestroza, Cornell University (Fabrics); Eurosocks North America (Socks); Germ Terminator, Inc. (The Germ Terminator); M. Laroussi, Old Dominion University (The Plasma Pencil); Bill Schlueter, Launchpad PR (The Handler)

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