Most people are familiar with silver compounds as a powerful antibacterial agent. But few know that copper compounds and copper as a metal are equally, if not a more powerful antibacterial agent.

In fact, in ancient times Roman soldiers used to save the filings when they sharpened their bronze spears (bronze is a copper and tin compound) to prevent wound infection. Copper kills all bacteria and viruses on contact.

While I don’t recommend using copper on open wounds (because it produces high levels of free radicals), it can be used to prevent the transfer of infections from surfaces.

For example, it has been shown that copper doorknobs, countertops, and bed railings do not transfer infections, and kill all bacteria and viruses on contact.

This prevents not only the spread of bacterial infections, but more importantly the spread of viruses such as the flu.

Copper doorknobs and countertops, and copper coverings on other surfaces can reduce the transfer of infections. Stainless steel can’t be adequately sterilized, as it contains numerous microcracks and holes that contain bacteria that antiseptics cannot reach.

Another place bacterial infections are transferred from person to person is mattresses and pillows.

For example, studies have shown that hospital mattresses, no matter how well cleaned, still contain dangerous organisms that can be transferred between patients (nosocomial infections).

This is especially true for the bacteria Clostridium difficile, which can cause severe antibiotic-resistant infections.

You can purchase copper-impregnated mattresses, pillowcases, and mattress covers to prevent such infections. The covers and pillows would be especially important to use in hotels, where you are sleeping on mattresses that come in contact with hundreds of people, and are rarely cleaned.