Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wheelchairs and Toilets


Those of us who do not require a wheelchair to get around probably never consider how cumbersome it is for people in wheelchairs to use the toilet, whether in the home or in a public restroom. It is a complicated process involving several steps.

First one must get alongside the toilet and apply the brake. Next remove the armrest and transfer to the toilet seat. Move the chair in order to swing the legs around. When ready to leave, transfer back onto the wheelchair and release the brake.

The whole thing would be made easier if there was an automatic toilet flusher. Technical Concepts has solved the problem with several types of sensor-operated autoflushers for restroom and tank style toilets. The Tank Style, wall-mounted Autoflusher senses the movement away and flushes the toilet It also assures that the toilet is always flushed and presentable. This system promotes hygiene by eliminating cross-contamination from handle touching and preventing odors from unflushed fixtures.

Public urinals and toilets can install Autoflushers for the same reasons.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Handsfree Towel Dispensers



Handsfree, clean towels can be dispensed in several ways. It depends on the type of dispenser used. The first type is a wall-mounted, sensor-operated towel dispenser, and is mainly installed in public restrooms or in food handling establishments. To operate it, one moves the hands under the dispenser and a clean towel appears. This assures that germ contact is avoided.

A wall-mounted, centerfold towel dispenser requires one to pull down the towel without touching the dispenser. Another towel is then ready for the next user. This method assumes that the next towel is also clean for the next person. We also find these in public restrooms and food establishments.

If it is necessary to operate a handle or lever type dispenser in order to get a towel, one can use the wrist or arm to do this and still avoid hand contact with germs to get a handsfree towel. In every case the towel can be used to exit the door and can then be discarded.

A countertop, sensor-operated dispenser is a sound addition to the home for the kitchen or bathroom. One places the hand in front of the sensor and the towel holder is turned while a towel is ready to tear off. This can not only help prevent cross-contamination from sick family members, food handling, and personal hygiene, but also can be economical. This type of dispenser releases full and half-size towels.

Avoiding germs is easy with handsfree towel dispensers

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Sensor-operated Soap Dispensers


It is a great feeling of security when using a sensor-operated soap dispenser especially in a public restroom. Even in the home having a touchless soap dispenser is essential when handling food, particularly meats like chicken or fish. Salmonella and e.coli from contaminated food can really make you very sick.

There are two types of soap dispensers for restrooms and institutions. One type can be mounted like a faucet on the countertop. It looks like a faucet. Other dispensers are mounted on the wall. Both types use either a foam soap or a liquid soap. These soap dispensers can be used in the home also.

In addition to wall and countertop mounted dispensers there are models that stand on the kitchen, bathroom, or restaurant countertop. These automatic devices use batteries that can last through many uses. Any touchfree step in the process of handwashing like sensor-operated soap dispensers eliminates some cross-contamination of germs.

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Travel With A Sanitizer


In this day of international travel where people from all over the world use the airlines, rent cars, stay in motels, and ride trains and buses it makes sense that we should avoid coming in contact with disease causing germs from these sources. Hygiene standards can vary quite a bit in different cultures. Awareness of microbes on objects does not exist in some parts of the world. Yet we can possibly interact with these individuals by touching things that they have handled.

This cross-contamination can be avoided by using a sanitizer. Ultraviolet sanitizers come in small and large sizes. They employ ultraviolet light to destroy microbes. The light waves interfere with the reproductive stage and so eliminate these germs. Holding the device over the area to be sanitized usually takes seconds to be affective. A pocket size purifier is very handy and can be carried in a purse or upper pocket. Airlines do not clean between passengers. A quick once over on head rests and arm rests can be accomplished easily with one of these miniature wands. Use it on the interior of a rental car also.

For items in your motel room a larger wand is recommended for the toilet seat, faucet handles, doorknobs, phones, menus and other reading material, and last but not least, the TV remote. The remote has been cultured and pronounced dirtier than a toilet seat. Maintenance crews never clean the remotes. The full size sanitizer wand covers a larger area and can be packed in your luggage. It does not take a germaphobe to realize that with more global travel we also have more global germs, so sanitizing is a preventive way of avoiding sickness, especially from foreign germs.

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Monday, March 1, 2010

Workplace Keyboards

Many of us work in an office or industry where we have to use a computer. Often there are multiple users on that computer or computers. Each person contributes his or her own microbes that are present on their hands. At times these microbes are disease-causing germs. Colds and flus can be spread in this manner. Bacteria like e.coli are a threat when people who use the restroom omit handwashing and then type on the keyboard. Sickdays taken by workers can be expensive so preventing illness should be a motivating factor.

One method of doing this is to provide waterproof keyboards in the workplace. These keyboards can be washed with solutions or disinfected with wipes. Some can even be washed in the dishwasher. Disinfectant wipes can clean the keyboards between users and a thorough washing or disinfectant solution can be used at the end of the workday.