In addition there are door handles that are flush-mount and require pressing rather than turning or gripping, and there are touch-free, electronic, and motion-sensor door handles. Infection control Door handles play a role in the spread of some infections. Infection transmission can occur when an individual touches a handle and subsequently touches their eyes, nose or mouth. However, some materials, e.g. brass, copper and silver, are slowly poisonous to many germs. The exact mechanism is not known, but is commonly thought to be via the oligodynamic effect, perhaps by some other electrostatic effect. Brass and copper, for example, disinfect themselves of many door handle bacteria within eight hours. Other materials such as glass, porcelain, stainless steel and aluminium do not have this effect. To avoid hand contact, some door handles are designed to be operated by the arm or foot. Gallery References External links Relative merits of copper and brass compared to stainless steel in microorganism hosting in hospital settings (Copper industry site) Discussion of bactericidal effects of brass as compared to steel Door furniture Ironmongery