Are you deep in the middle of a spring cleaning that would make Marie Kondo proud? Turns out there’s one thing in the house you may not have to worry about: your doorknobs.

If they’re made of brass, copper, or silver, they’re probably cleaner than you think. In fact, they may actually be cleaning themselves!

Puzzled? Don’t worry, we’ll explain.

Confused Gary Coleman GIF by Giphy

The Oligodynamic Effect is the science behind self-cleaning door knobs. As we all know, science is insane and blows our minds on a regular basis. Check it out; metals contain ions. These ions work to kill off any and all living cells including bacteria, fungi, spores, and viruses. Your doorknob can knock ‘em all dead in about 15 minutes.

Since these gross little dudes are naturally attracted to the ions in metal, they don’t stand a chance in your house (even if you haven’t gotten around to spring cleaning… or any cleaning for that matter).

Enjoying the science lesson? Learn about the other things in the house you may not have to worry about cleaning here.