An apparatus for reducing the spread of infection includes a covering that is placed over a handle. A quantity of disinfectant that is disposed in an interior portion of the apparatus is expelled from the interior portion to an exterior surface of the apparatus when a user grasps and squeezes the covering or by gravity or by the use of a pump. The pump is activated at regular intervals or when the approach of a user is detected. The disinfectant is replenished or the apparatus is periodically replaced if an interior reservoir is used. If an outer reservoir is used the disinfectant is replenished or the reservoir is periodically replaced. A method for applying a disinfectant to an exterior surface of a covering is provided. According to a modification, the disinfectant is conveyed from the outer reservoir to an exterior surface of the handle by activation of the pump or by gravity if the reservoir is elevated above the handle. A method for applying a disinfectant to an exterior surface of a handle is provided.
