Kitchen remodeling or bathroom remodeling can be a great way to give your home new life and vibrancy. When you look at the right kitchen remodeling project elements, it can also be a great way to increase the value of your home. But why use copper products in your kitchen or bathroom remodel?

If you are considering remodeling your kitchen or bathroom at this time you are also concerned about the safety of your home amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Studies show the answer could be as simple as replacing surfaces with a common metal. Pure copper is naturally antimicrobial which makes it great for renovating or remodeling your kitchen or bath.

Since copper is a naturally occurring metal, it’s been used by man since the early days of humanity for objects such as weapons, tools and jewelry. In ancient Egypt they used it to purify water as well as to sterilize battle wounds to prevent infection. People in India and Turkey have been proclaiming the health benefits of this for centuries. These examples are years before our scientific understanding of microbes had even been developed, but it’s clear to see that people had been aware of its health benefits for a long time.

At the start of the 21st century, Professor Keevil, the director of environmental health care units at Southampton University, started to really probe what it was about copper that had made people throughout history recognize its healing potential. He found that the copper ions penetrate bacterial cells and inhibit their respiration. He also discovered that the ions attacked the DNA of the cell and destroyed it, making gene transfer no longer possible.

According to research conducted on COVID-19, the virus dies on copper surfaces within 4 hours, while managing to survive on plastic and stainless steel for up to three days. However antibacterial cleaning and hand washing are still very much needed, having copper doorknobs, faucets, sinks, showerheads, fixtures, and surfaces in homes could help stop or slow down the transmission of germs and diseases.

So with the known health benefits of copper, why don’t we see it used more today in home remodeling projects? Well, stainless steel and plastic surfaces are generally considered cleaner looking, so they have become readily adopted in homes, offices and, especially, in hospitals to help patients feel that they were in sterile surroundings. Also, there’s a general misconception that silver is a better antimicrobial metal, and while it’s true that silver does have an antibacterial effect, it doesn’t have this effect when the surface is dry, whereas copper works without the need of moisture.

Nonetheless, the look of copper is definitely a 2020 fashion trend for all home styles! Let Julz Corp help design a custom copper look for your kitchen or bathroom remodel.