system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: why do hospitals use stainless steel instead of antimicrobial copper alloys?

Go into any medical facility and it looks like everything in there is made of stainless steel, but hospital acquired infections are a serious problem. Wouldn't antimicrobial copper or brass for equipment and tools reduce the spread of infections?
gpt
Excellent question! Like many things, the simple answer is cost. 

There are businesses who have started selling copper coatings for surgical suites, but right now they're considered a luxury. Copper is extremely expensive, and regular disinfection is pretty effective at keeping stainless steel near-sterile. 

Source: currently in a biomedical materials class in which we discussed this exact thing last week.