Hands free door openers RE covid 19?

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eric2light
eric2light Posts: 113 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I live with a large number of other people so I'm considering hands-free door openers. Suggestions? What's practical?

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  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,311 Member
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    Bi directional .. push with elbow/foot

    With knobs.. napkins I accumulated from drive thru restaurant
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 980 Member
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    I push doors with my elbows or hip. To press buttons or pull doors, I tuck my hands into my coat or cardigan sleeves.
  • eric2light
    eric2light Posts: 113 Member
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    I don't want to have to have my people turn the door knob. How do you rejigger a door so that it slam catches and then can be pushed open? (Not talking about outside door.) I want all the inner doors to be able to be pushed open with an elbow or whatever and pushed closed. I guess I want a spring loaded latch bolt that is shaped in such a way that you never have to turn the knob. I googled and can't find anything designed to be used on a door, as far as I can tell.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
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    Wouldn't you need like a hinge going both ways? You'd need to completed reconfigure your door. Perhaps a table with a box of tissues or hand sanitizer at it.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,649 Member
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    eric2light wrote: »
    I don't want to have to have my people turn the door knob. How do you rejigger a door so that it slam catches and then can be pushed open? (Not talking about outside door.) I want all the inner doors to be able to be pushed open with an elbow or whatever and pushed closed. I guess I want a spring loaded latch bolt that is shaped in such a way that you never have to turn the knob. I googled and can't find anything designed to be used on a door, as far as I can tell.

    The least expensive I can think off would be along the lines of a self closing spring mechanism and blocking the door from latching closed (so it basically becomes a swinging door you can just push on). How that would work to pull on the side you can't push... no idea.

    I mean if you're going to be installing powered arms to swing the door... and sensors to start them opening before you get there.... it just might be cheaper to just buy packs of cloth rags for $20 (home depot has basically shredded t-shirts that they are selling as rags) and a small laundry bin from a dollar store.

    Grab clean rag, open door, dump in bin. Take bins to laundry (using gloves or more rags). Launder in hot water with detergent. Dry in normal/high heat. Keep going.

    Even if your flat mates don't use them... you can.

    However if they're taking no precautions the chances of not catching something when one of them gets sick.. diminish.

    I am sure there are similar items elsewhere:
    https://www.homedepot.ca/product/shinex-white-rags-4-lbs-/1000107382
    https://www.homedepot.ca/product/stain-pro-contractor-box-white-rags-15-pound/1000840220
    https://www.dollarama.com/en-CA/Search?keywords=bin
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
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    Strudders67 wrote: »
    I push doors with my elbows or hip. To press buttons or pull doors, I tuck my hands into my coat or cardigan sleeves.
    I use the bottom of my shirt (usually plenty long enough so no worries about showing too much) because I will tuck my hands in my sleeves when I am cold and then lean my face on my sleeve covered hand...

    My grandmother has a spring hinged door between the kitchen and dining room, like a restaurant kitchen. You would have to reconfigure both hinges and door jam because standard door frames have a piece of wood as a stopper.

    If you know how to sew you can make a small fabric pad with two hair ties or elastic on the ends that covers the latch so it can be pushed open, but only works one way. Search door latch cover DIY for ideas.

    I know some cabinet doors have the push latch that with latch shut then spring open, but not sure they make anything like that for full size household doors.

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