It used to be that cold and flu season just spanned the winter; we all just took some extra Vitamin C, got our shots and hoped for the best. COVID changed all that – it was like two full years of flu season, but to the extreme. And here we are on the 5th (?) strain of COVID and a whole new communicable issue with Monkey Pox. It’s not going to get less gross anytime soon, so if you haven’t already streamlined your sanitation processes with touchless entry, you probably should.
Touchless Storefront Entry Doors for Customer Safety
You can’t exactly do smartphone access on your storefront – how would customers get in and out easily? But that doesn’t mean you still can’t switch to touchless door hardware for business entries. There are 3 main methods you can use to ensure your customers don’t have to touch germ-ridden handles and your doors don’t corrode from too frequent cleaning.
- Foot pulls: These are little installations at the bottom corner of the opening side of the door that allow people to put their foot on it and use it to push or pull the door. It’s a good idea to pair these with a kick plate to avoid scuffs and dents in the bottom of your doors.
- Arm pulls: These are basically just really long, angled, open door handles with room for people to loop their arms through to push or pull the door, avoiding having to use their hands.
- Waving entry: These are little motion-sensing units you can place on the side of your storefront doors, both inside and out, that allow customers to wave a hand (or anything else) in front of it to operate the door.
Then, of course, you always have the option of automatic double glass sliding doors. Any kind of automatic or motion-sensing touchless entry hardware is definitely the most ADA-friendly, too.
Touchless Service & Security Doors for Employee Safety
Here’s where you can employ limited, authorized remote access to your facility’s doors. Back entrances and service doors should be updated to touchless entry not only for cleanliness, but for security as well. Locks and keys aren’t only homes for germs, they’re super-easy to pick, kick in or disassemble, not to mention you have to change locks each time an employee leaves. Eliminate all that stuff with door hardware like:
- RFID entry
- Digital swipe cards
- Smartphone access
- Bluetooth access
- Automatic doors with timers
Touchless Restroom Hardware for Sanitation
Yes, publicly-used entry doors to businesses are gross, but the ones to your public restrooms are even grosser. Switching to touchless door and sink hardware can make a huge difference in the cleanliness of your bathrooms and the exposure of your employees and customers to bacteria.
Add motion-sensors to your faucets, arm pulls to your stall doors, foot pulls to your restroom doors, and motion sensors on your hand dryers. These are easy parts to switch out, and the presence of touchless door and sink hardware in a business tells customers you care about cleanliness and customer well-being.
Planning for the Long-Haul: A New Reality
Cold and flu season is an ever-present reality, and it’s looking like viral pandemics might become one, too. Upgrading your business’ commercial entryways and restrooms with touchless entry is an investment in your customers, employees and site security, but it’s also an investment in the future of your business.