SANITISERS

There were some concerns in the early twentieth century around sanitation, health and telephony and whether diseases or infection could be passed via a telephone mouthpiece or earpiece, due to epidemics of tuberculosis and influenza around this time. People began to consider methods for providing a barrier protection against cross contamination that was thought to occur by sharing intimate objects, such as telephone mouthpieces. Several sanitary telephone mouthpieces, became available to adapt to the transmitters of most telephones. These mouthpieces were originally made of glass or porcelain and could be sterilised by boiling in water.

The GPO, on the other hand, did not approve of any attachments on their telephones, so glass and porcelain sanitary telephone mouthpieces were designed to be screwed into the transmitter of a ‘candlestick’ style (also wall phones with a fixed transmitter), replacing the existing mouthpiece tube.  These sanitary mouthpieces could also be easily removed and cleaned.

From 1916 onwards, more sanitisers appeared in the market place, probably due to the prevalence of many infections and diseases around the time of the First World War, especially influenza and, from 1918 onwards, Spanish Flu.

Due to the introduction of Bakelite telephones and the new Bakelite Transmitter No. 22 in 1930, most sanitary telephone mouthpieces of glass or porcelain disappeared gradually from sale as they would only fit the older Transmitter No. 1. 

Instead new types appeared but not in such numbers.  One type was horseshoe shaped sanitiser called a Higiofone.  This fitted in the spittoon style mouthpiece of the new Bakelite handsets.  Not the easiest to install as the mouthpiece had to be removed to allow the fixing screw to secure the Higiofone casting in place.

Telesan invented a holder that attached to the casing on 200 and 300 type telephones.  For the 200 type they had two types: one for the earpiece and one for the mouthpiece.  They attached to the telephone case with a suction cup and extended to the earpiece and the mouthpiece.  Each would contain a sanitiser tablet.  The designs were dated 1944, but it is not known if these were ever produced and used.

A company called Phonotas also operated in the UK.  They provided, at a price, cleaners who came to the office and sanitised the telephones.  Mainly women, they had a smart uniform and carried a small case a cleaning materials.  They also had a heavy weight that kept the switch hooks down when cleaning the handset.  This company is still in existence but has had many changes of ownership and names over the years.

Below are some pictures of various sanitisers, mostly from the BT archives.  Dates are when the pictures were taken.

GEC "Magnet" Glass Sanitiser mouthpiece - Code number K7727 (1916)

Porcelain Sanitiser ( 1931)

Phonedis Sanitiser (1931)

Phonedis Sanitiser (1931)

Gledhill and Stones, Blackburn (1928)
This Sanitiser used tablets which could be replaced in the clip on holder

Gledhill and Stones, Blackburn (1928)

Asceptiphon Sanitiser (1930)
Probably fitted to a Telephone No. 72

Sanitiser applicator (1932)
This looks like a spray device which operates when the receiver is placed on hook

Sanitiser (1929)
The plug fits into the mouthpiece when it is not in use

Telephone No. 2 with Sanitiser (1930)

Telephone No. 4 with Sanitiser (1930)

Sanitiser (1931)

Mechanical Sanitiser (1931)

Sanitiser (1932)

This is a Higiofone Sanitiser
It is fitted in the spittoon of a Bakelite handset
Is is fixed in place by the central screw
A paper sanitiser was located behind the air holes

A Higiofone fitted inside the spittoon
 

Telesan - Blueprint dated 1944
There are two cups, which are fixed to the casing with suction pads, fitted so they coincide with
the ear and mouth pieces.  A sanitiser tablet was fitted in each of the cups.

Last revised: June 22, 2024