No one likes touching things in a public bathroom more than they have to, but is this device taking germaphobia to a costlier — and more dangerous-sounding — level?

Every business has them: the restroom Olympians. They’ll contort their bodies into the most agonizing position so long as they don’t have to touch that faucet or flusher knob with their bare hands. Elbows, heels, it’s all fair game. And you know for certain that each minute they spend sanitizing every surface of their desk is a minute they’re not doing any actual work.

Seems like inventors Jeffrey and Paul Metzger were catering directly to efficiency-minded CFOs and managers when they developed “The Handler.” The rubber and plastic device features a pop-out hook which helps the germ-conscious avoid touching faucet handles, door knobs, keyboards — anything too “public” to touch bare-handed.

Handy for avoiding germs? Maybe. Is sanitation worth the cost of looking like a really clean pirate? Maybe not.

But the real problem comes from the hook’s extra level of protection — the entire surface is impregnated with atomized silver ions which kill any germs that happen to land on the device. Because of these antimicrobial properties, the Environmental Protection Agency may require the business to classify the device as a known pesticide.

Is it harmful to humans? Not at all, studies show. But slapping a “Warning: contains pesticides” sticker onto a germophobe aid sounds just as bad as “Warning: contains lots of dirty things that you don’t want to touch.”

Next time you see a co-worker participating in a germaphobic decathalon instead of processing that latest batch of expense reports, just do them a favor and hold the door open. No pesticides, no pulled muscles — it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: germophobia, sanitation, The Handler