Protect Yourself from Germs with the Handler

Trying to keep yourself healthy? Then avoid touching... well, anything. Public bathrooms, office microwave and refrigerator handles, and even copier buttons can transmit the bacteria that cause colds, flus, and worse. If only you had some kind of germ-proof plastic hook instead of those accursed fingers!

Enter the Handler, a germ-proof plastic hook you whip out every time you need to open a door, push a button, lift or lower a toilet seat, scratch your bum, and so on.

I don't mean to sound so glib about this; I actually think it's a very clever product. (Blame the demo video: It made a really compelling case until it got to the part about "infused with advanced nano-silver particles," which caused me to burst out laughing.) The Handler can clip to a keychain or slip into a pocket. It's available in a variety of colors and sells for $10.95, a small price to pay for dramatically reducing germ exposure.

Just don't try to shake hands with it -- unless the other person has a Handler, too, in which case you can, er, shake hooks.