Germ-Thwarting Keys

Since the H1N1 flu virus has spread to all ends of the World, people are understandably more conscious of germs, hence a new product called the 'Touch Stick.'  We know that flu germs survive on surfaces for hours and can be transmitted to the next person who touches the same surface.  For this reason, I have a bottle of Purell in my car, purse, and desk at work.  Anytime I touch a suspect object, like the copy machine, ATM, or elevator, I squirt a dollop of Purell on my hands and rub it in to uncontaminated myself.  My Co-workers affectionately call me their Purell Girl.  A few teasingly call me a Germaphobe, which is probably closer to the truth.

So, when I ran across this product, the Touch Stick, I knew I had to have one.  The Touch Stick is a neat plastic device shaped like a key that can be attached to a key chain. The Touch Stick was designed with the purpose of pushing germ-infested buttons, so the surface is flat. For other surfaces, like for tapping electronic buttons, or for signing, the Touch Stick has a pointed stylus like tip.  The Touch Stick comes in 5 different colors and are sold for $2.99 each or $10.00 for a bundle of five.

I had to laugh when I read the comment made by the writer Julie at the Gadgeteer, where I spotted the Touch Stick, “I would rather just use my fingers and then lick them, because I’m tough.” 

The Touch Stick does come with the following disheartening disclaimer: “Note: not guaranteed to protect against transmission of or infection from germs or any other harmful substance,” so I may just stick with a product featured last year on Trendhunter that does, the Handler, which I have included in the related trends, if you want to take a click.