Simple guide on how to clean and sanitize the handle

How to best sanitize and clean the door handle at home

The handle and hygiene. The advent of Coronavirus has raised attention to the sanitation of furniture details often considered secondary, such as the door handle. In this period, in fact, greater attention must be paid to every detail, including the cleaning of some of the objects with which we frequently come into contact during our stay at home.

For this reason, we will provide some tips on how to thoroughly clean the handles, so that you can count on safe furniture and enjoy your home at its best even in this complex period. In addition, two new products will be shown that can help you live your home and office more safely.

Sanitizing door handles and doors: what are the risks?

Contagion from surfaces seems to be a completely marginal eventuality, as stated in Repubblica. This is because COVID-19 needs cells to replicate. Therefore, when some droplets of saliva fall on surfaces such as doors and handles, the action of the virus ends after a short time.

To avoid any risk, in any case, there are two remedies: wash your hands often and prolonged, and carefully clean the surfaces you use most. Among these, obviously, there are the handles. In theory, the cleaning of these furniture details should be carried out several times a day. This is necessary because the handles are continuously touched by several people. All this, especially if you do not promptly clean your hands, can lead to the proliferation of germs and bacteria.

What is surface sanitation?

Sanitization does not mean simply cleaning a surface. Instead, it is an intervention that consists of at least three phases:

· Mechanical removal of dirt

· The use of degreasers or detergents

Disinfection

It is important to follow this order well. Disinfectants, in fact, may not act fully if you have not first passed an effective cleansing phase.
Cleaning the door handles: the quickest remedies

We had already talked about cleaning interior doors in an article a few months ago. On that occasion, the focus was mainly on wooden window frames, which are one of the most common alternatives found in homes and offices.

On this occasion, however, we want to emphasize what can be done to sanitize the handles of all types of windows or even just the brass handle. In fact, during this period, it is necessary to stay at home and not go out except for what is strictly necessary. For this it can be useful to understand how to deal with situations that could normally be solved easily.

For cleaning knobs and the like, then, the quickest and simplest remedy is to start by cleaning the handle of impurities and dirt. It is at this juncture that dust and dirt can be removed in a basic way, for example with a rag.

In the cleansing phase, on the other hand, it is useful to use a degreasing and detergent product, preferably based on alcohol. Finally, you can move on to actual disinfection, to be operated with bleach, alcohol or chlorine.

In principle, it is necessary to fully comply with what is written on the label of the products used, especially in the case of disinfection. Some products work immediately, others take a few minutes, and still others need rinsing.

This type of thorough cleaning should be done at least once a week. During the other days, however, it is worth spending a few minutes to clean with an alcohol-based cleaner. This is because the Coronavirus has a membrane that is destroyed by solutions with alcohol and water.

What to use to best clean the door handles at home

It is advisable to avoid using sponges or, at least, to change them very often. Since this is not always feasible, given the directive to stay at home as much as possible, it can be remedied by choosing rags and cloths. However, these too must be replaced frequently.

The moment you notice residues on the rags that don't go away, it's time to change them. It is worth remembering that sponges and other objects used to sanitize the door handles of the house must be thrown in the unsorted bin, and destined for the incinerator. Therefore, they must not be placed in plastic bins or other recycling bins.
Antimicrobial handles and coatings: the Porte Italiane proposals

In addition to cleaning and sanitizing the doors and handles used every day in the best possible way, it is possible to think about more important structural interventions. In fact, Porte Italiane offers solutions designed to guarantee particularly high standards of hygiene.

Alternatives designed for professional and non-professional environments, such as Hoppe's SecuSan handles. It is a handle with an antimicrobial surface, which ensures a profound preventive action against germs and bacteria. The effectiveness is guaranteed by a particular structure in silver ions. These elements destroy the cell membrane of germs. The technical specifications speak of a reduction of more than 99% of the bacteria present on the handle.

Alternatively, it is possible to turn to a special door covering laminate (http://www.porteitaliane.com/). It is a material capable of providing an efficient antibacterial action on plastics and other non-porous materials, according to the specifications of the ISO 22196: 2011 standard. The cover used includes polyethylene, which can cope with bacterial strains such as E. coli and staph.

With these advice, the entire staff of Porte Italiane hopes to have done something to please those who find themselves in difficulty and have doubts about how to best wash handles and other furnishing accessories. Prevention and small daily attentions are the most effective remedy for this complicated period.