How to Interact With Door Handles, Touchscreens, and Other Public Surfaces

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new era of public health awareness. In an effort to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, remedies such as social distancing barriers and hand sanitizer stations have highlighted the importance of developing new habits to help stay healthy in public.

But whether it’s working in a factory or getting cash out of an ATM, public spaces often require physical interactions with surfaces that allow diseases to linger. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the virus that causes COVID-19 can live up to four hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, and three days on stainless steel or plastic. Between steel door handles and plastic touchscreens, any of these high-touch surfaces can pose a risk to the continued transmission of COVID-19 or other highly contagious pathogens, such as influenza.

In order to safely interact with high-touch surfaces, it’s easy to use a small tool or device as a protective barrier. Whether it’s worn or carried in a pocket, a simple but functional accessory can help reduce the spread of disease and keep public surfaces safe to use by anyone.

Here are three methods of safely interacting with door handles, touchscreens, and buttons:

Wear Gloves

Construction workers, food handlers, and medical professionals are all accustomed to using gloves in their day-to-day workflow. Not only do gloves serve as an effective barrier against harmful substances, but they’re also easy enough to slip on without obstructing normal activities.

That’s not to say that gloves are the perfect solution. Depending on the material, they can be uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time and may not work with certain touchscreens. Disposable gloves can also be wasteful and costly, requiring the user to change into a new pair on a frequent basis.

Use a Pen or Stylus

Everyone’s sure to have a pen or stylus sitting on their desk, in their purse, or in their pocket. Easy to transport and useful beyond that of being a simple writing tool, pens and styluses can act as fingers in public spaces and interact with buttons, touchscreens, and more.

But despite their ubiquity, pens can’t handle all public surface interactions. Ever tried opening a door with a ballpoint pen? And because many pens are made from plastic, a surface on which viruses can live, there’s no guarantee that picking up a loose pen to touch a screen is any safer than using a finger.

Use a Special Tool

Special circumstances deserve special solutions, and in the era of COVID-19, the SnaggleClaw is the ideal device for interacting with public surfaces. Portable, lightweight, and ergonomically designed, the SnaggleClaw™ delivers a safe and easy method of opening door handles, interacting with touch screens, and pressing buttons. Equipped with an antimicrobial coating for protection and easy cleaning, the SnaggleClaw™ also features a built-in LED light to illuminate surfaces in low-light conditions.

Available in multiple sizes and a wide array of colors, the SnaggleClaw™ is an affordable and convenient device to help engage with devices in public. Visit SplatterGuard.com to order a SnaggleClaw™ today!