Pipe NRG4 Hand dryers worse than paper towels for spreading germs

Hand dryers worse than paper towels for spreading germs

by
in science on (#NRG4)
Tests discovered that when hands are poorly washed airborne germ counts are 27 times higher around air dryers in comparison with the air around paper towel dispensers. This shows that both jet and warm air hand dryers spread bacteria into the air and onto users and those nearby.

Researchers collected air samples around the hand dryers and also at distances of one and two meters away. They found that air bacterial counts close to jet air dryers were 4.5 times higher than around warm air dryers and 27 times higher compared with the air when using paper towels. Next to the dryers, bacteria persisted in the air well beyond the 15 second hand-drying time, with approximately half (48 percent) collected more than five minutes after drying ended and still detected in the air 15 minutes after hand drying.

"These findings are important for understanding the ways in which bacteria spread, with the potential to transmit illness and disease," said Professor Mark Wilcox, who led the study.

History

2015-10-03 13:35
Hand dryers worse than paper towels for spreading germs
evilviper@pipedot.org
TRestearchers have discovered that when hands are poorly washed airborne germ counts are 27 times higher around air dryers in comparison with the air around paper towel dispensers. This shows that both jet and warm air hand dryers spread bacteria into the air and onto users and those nearby. "These findings are important for understanding the ways in which bacteria spread, with the potential to transmit illness and disease," said Professor Mark Wilcox, who led the study.

Researchers collected air samples around the hand dryers and also at distances of one and two meters away. They found that air bacterial counts close to jet air dryers were 4.5 times higher than around warm air dryers and 27 times higher compared with the air when using paper towels. Next to the dryers, bacteria persisted in the air well beyond the 15 second hand-drying time, with approximately half (48 percent) collected more than five minutes after drying ended and still detected in the air 15 minutes after hand drying.

"These findings are important for understanding the ways in which bacteria spread, with the potential to transmit illness and disease," said Professor Mark Wilcox, who led the study.
Reply 3 comments

Better to just wipe on your clothes? (Score: 1)

by wootery@pipedot.org on 2015-10-01 22:32 (#P6KZ)

So is it better to wipe your hands on your clothes than use a hand-dryer?

Also, I'm pretty sure it had been established years ago (nowhere near as recently as Nov. 2014, the date on the article) that hand-dryers incubate bacteria.

Dyson dryers (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-10-03 11:51 (#PBCQ)

Doesn't mention the new forced air Dyson dryers

Re: Dyson dryers (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-10-03 13:33 (#PBJC)

Doesn't mention the new forced air Dyson dryers
Yes it does:

"both jet and warm air hand dryers"

The Dyson is just one model of the modern jet/turbo type hand dryers. The first (LONG before Dyson) was the Mitsubishi Jet Towel. Others include the Excel XLERATOR, American Dryer Extreme Air, World Dryer SLIMdri/SMARTdry/Airforce, BluStorm, Saniflow, ASI turbo, and more.

Personally, I HATE them all... The noise level is ridiculously ear-shattering, and even in low-traffic restrooms they leave wet trails across the wall and a puddle on the floor underneath them. Even at 3X the operating cost, I'd gladly go with warm air units.