PureHold Pull Handle FAQ

Purehold Pull Handle

Overall sales statement (for layman)

The Purehold pull handle has a special coating that kills 99.9% of bacteria using silver ion technology and starts working immediately to kills any microbes deposited onto the handle surface by users.  It simply snaps onto your existing D-shape door handle and lasts for 6 months.

Specific Claims

• Proven in the lab to kill 99.9% of bacteria¹
• Proven in the field to be 96.4% cleaner than standard stainless steel door handle²

1 - Independently tested to ISO 22196 and shown to kill 99.9% of E-Coli & Staphylococcus Aureus, 98.6% for Salmonella
2 - Independently field tested by Wickham Laboratories in facility employing 85 staff.

FAQ’s

Question:  Does it clean your hands?
Answer:  No it does not clean your hands.  Instead it kills the germs deposited onto the handle surface that would otherwise contaminate your hands when you open the door.  This allows you to open the door without worrying about picking up lots of nasty germs from the door handle.

Question:  If it doesn’t clean hands, what’s the point?
Answer:  It’s true that the product doesn’t actually clean hands.  Someone with dirty hands will still walk around your site and contaminate lots of objects.  However, it’s much better than every user picking up germs from the door handle and spreading them around the building, especially when common Microbes found on door furniture include E-Coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Staph Aureus.  1 in 100 people with dirty hands is much better than 100 out of 100 people all spreading germs and making everyone ill.

Question:  What if the person before me hasn’t washed his hands – will I pick up their germs?
Answer:  It’s inevitable that some users will not wash their hands.   Fortunately the silver ions work immediately to break down the germs and protect the next user.   Independent field trials undertaken in an office of 85 people have proven that the Purehold handles are 96.4% cleaner than standard door handles, giving users complete peace of mind.

Question:  What if I have damp hands and use it?
Answer:  Damp hands are ok because the Purehold handle surface contains very few germs so you are very unlikely to contaminate your hands.  However, if you use a normal door handle with wet hands you are extremely likely to pick up thousands of bacteria from the surface, including  E-Coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Staph Aureus.   Statistically, damp hands are 1,000 times more likely to spread bacteria than dry hands so letting users touch dirty door handles with wet hands is a sure way to spread germs throughout a building.

Question:  I don’t believe it works!
Answer:  It’s certainly hard to believe when the technology is invisible.   However, the antibacterial properties of silver ions are extremely well known in the industry.  To prove it we have undertaken extensive Independent tests and field trials.  The antibacterial coating has been Independently tested in the lab to the most recognised industry standard (ISO 22196:2011 - Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces) .  We have also undertaken independent field trials in an office of 85 people and 3 very high use doors.   Results showed that the Purehold handles were 96.4% cleaner than standard door handles.  If you still don’t believe us, you can read the 80 page Technical Report which outlines all of the independent testing undertaken.  This contains full details of the test procedures, results and which laboratories were involved.

Question:  How do I know when it needs changing?
Answer:   This is very straight forward.  The indicator will gradually turn from white to red over time.  As soon as you start seeing red appear it’s time to start thinking about ordering replacements.

Question:  What door handles does it fit?
Answer:   It will fit the 3 most common cylindrical pull door handle (often called “D” Handles) in the UK with a diameter of 19mm, 20mm or 22mm.  If you are unsure please ask and we can send you a plastic gauge to measure.  A measuring gauge is provided in the box with every pull handle as standard so you can check when it arrives.

Question:  Most of our doors have “Lever style” (i.e. push downwards) door handle – will it fit these?
Answer:   Unfortunately not.  The product only works with standard pull handles (i.e. “D” handles).  However, we are developing a new lever handle version which will be available in 2018.

Question:  How often should it be cleaned?
Answer:   We would recommend you clean it in line with your normal routine for door handle cleaning and that you use a soapy water to wipe it down. Unlike other products, it works continually to kill germs using the silver ions to kill germs so does not require any disinfectant chemicals to clean it.

Question:  How cost effective are they?
Answer:   Very.  If they can prevent one member of staff from going sick they more than pay for themselves for the entire year.  Not only that, they also improve the aesthetic look of the doors and give staff, customers and visitors confidence that they are touching a clean surface.

Question:  How easy are they to fit?
Answer:   The handles are very easy and retrofit onto your existing door handles.  They can be fitted in under 60 seconds and require no tools.  For full details see the detailed instructions .

Question:  How strong/robust are they?
Answer:   The handles are very robust and will easily last 6 months on a high traffic doors.  Testing has shown the coating is effective for approximately 6 months and is based on usage of between 50,000 and 100,000 pulls.

Check out our blog about both the PureHold Handle and PureHold Pushplate