Surgical kitchen taps.

From the series: Science in the kitchen.

One day, my good friend, a hepatologist, seeing me washing my hands and turning off the taps, asked me:

Are you sure you washed your hands well?

Of course,” I replied, surprised by SUCH a question.

So, don’t be so cocky,” she said. — You washed your hands and seemed to be clean, and then WITH the SAME CLEAN HANDS you closed the taps again, the handles of which had just been opened “DIRTY”! And the dirt from your palms that was BEFORE washing has returned to your palms!

The remark is reasonable and correct. But this means that you need to wash not only your hands, but also the handles of the taps themselves, and this is not always convenient and possible.

By profession, he took part in a number of surgical operations, as an active element, and not looking from above, like students, through a glass window. And, of course, he washed his hands thoroughly together with the surgeons (soap, then again iodine liquid soap, then wiped them with sterile towels. Only he put on the surgical gown himself, and not as a surgeon, to whom the operating nurse puts a dressing gown in front).

I liked the design of the cranes then. Both handles were equipped with long levers, so that the taps could be closed WITHOUT TOUCHING them with the palms of your hands.

In my kitchen, the taps are ordinary, but the metal sink under and behind the taps is very narrow and therefore it is difficult and simply impossible to wash the taps. Water will spill onto the board near the sink and start pouring down into the compartment under the sink.

NOT HYGIENIC!

What to do?

I tried to put some caps that could be removed from the taps, which could be removed and washed with my hands. But they worked poorly. And so I decided to liken the handles of kitchen faucets to surgical ones. I bought some large spring clips, put them on the handles and secured them with thin plastic fasteners.

They are working quite successfully so far.

Those who want to be clean can do the same at home!

Good luck in this endeavor!

10 XI 2024