Corona Crisis: Metz Produces Door Handles and Hooks

Metz was once a manufacturer of radios and televisions. Now the Franconians are building e-scooters and, more recently, furniture! Because the COVID-19 pandemic understandably scares many people. Nowadays, you see more and more people who absolutely want to avoid touching door handles. Whether there is even a transmission route via door handles is questionable. But better safe than sorry. Ingenious tinkerers from Metz in Zirndorf, actually known as an e-scooter producer, have teamed up with the partner company Stechert from Trautskirchen, which manufactures the frames for Metz's e-scooters, to search for and find a solution: the hygiene door opener. With this attachment, doors can be opened without touching them with the hand.

As Metz explains, these stainless steel attachments can be easily installed on all standard door handles. This makes opening and closing doors very simple with the elbow or forearm. Due to its robust and easy-to-clean stainless steel design, the hygiene door opener is especially suitable for high-traffic areas, such as companies, authorities, municipal offices, public institutions, law firms, or medical practices. Installation is possible both indoors and outdoors. Unlike plastic, stainless steel offers better cleanability and is also more durable.

Metz emphasizes that sustainability was consciously prioritized in the design of the stainless steel products. And because production takes place in Germany, long transport routes are avoided. The hygiene door openers can now be ordered in two variants and two sizes from the in-house online shop. The product range also includes a mobile hygiene door hook. This is suitable for use with cash and ticket machines, doorbells, or even in public transport. With the "Long" model, you can even turn water faucets on and off without touching them.

What does this mean?

The crisis is bringing forth product ideas that not long ago would have had everyone shaking their heads. But by now, innovative solutions, no matter how absurd they may seem, are actually becoming acceptable. It may still seem a bit exaggerated to use hygiene door openers or hooks, but to protect employees and visitors and give them a sense of security, their use in companies or public areas can indeed be worthwhile. And probably some consumers who are now poking at machines with pinched fingers will find it quite appealing to use a hygiene hook for this. Although a paper tissue, which you throw away afterwards, would surely also do the job. But that's not sustainable.