CHARLESTON, S.C. (February 16, 2012) - The Ronald McDonald House of Charleston (RMHC) will today unveil an unprecedented renovation featuring bacteria*-killing Antimicrobial Copper. The extensive renovation, which makes RMHC the first nonprofit temporary residence facility in the nation to undertake an Antimicrobial Copper retrofit, has replaced steel, wood and plastic touch surfaces with solid, EPA-registered copper-based metals like brass and bronze. Many high traffic surfaces were converted including: stair railings, sinks, faucets, tables, locksets, cabinet pulls and chair arms.
*Laboratory testing shows that, when cleaned regularly, Antimicrobial Copper surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of the following bacteria within 2 hours of exposure: MRSA, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli O157:H7. Antimicrobial Copper surfaces are a supplement to and not a substitute for standard infection control practices and have been shown to reduce microbial contamination, but do not necessarily prevent cross contamination; users must continue to follow all current infection control practices.