Hand Dryers Spread 27 Times More Germs Around The Room Than Paper Towels | HuffPost Life

Why Hand Dryers Are Germ Machines

Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK

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It might be time to revert back to paper towels, as scientists have shown that hand dryers aren't actually that effective when it comes to combating germs.

According to researchers it could also be spreading bacteria around the room.

The study, conducted by Leeds University, found that airborne germ counts are 27 times higher around jet air dryers than paper towel dispensers.

Researchers found that both jet and warm air hand dryers spread bacteria into the air and onto users and those nearby, with jet hand dryers causing the worst amount of germ disruption.

Led by Professor Mark Wilcox of the School of Medicine, the study involved contaminating hands with a harmless type of bacteria called Lactobacillus, which is not normally found in public bathrooms.

This was done to mimic hands that were poorly washed.

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Detection of the Lactobacillus bacteria in the air proved that it must have come from the hands during drying.

Air samples were then collected around the hand dryers and also at distances of one and two metres away.

Bacterial counts in the air surrounding the jet air dryers were found to be 4.5 times higher than around warm air dryers and 27 times higher compared with the air when using paper towels.

Meanwhile, next to the dryers, bacteria persisted in the air well beyond the 15 second hand-drying time, with approximately half (48%) of the Lactobacilli collected more than five minutes after drying ended.

Lactobacilli were still detected in the air 15 minutes after hand drying.

Where Are Germs Lurking In Your Kitchen

Kitchen Drain(01 of10)

The only thing in your home that houses more germs than the kitchen drain is your bathroom toilet. And this is problematic since the kitchen drain is in close contact with many other kitchen items. A quick way to clean your kitchen drain is to pour a little baking soda in it with warm water running. (credit:Getty)

Wash Cloth/Sponge(02 of10)

You may think you're cleaning your plates and cups when in fact you could just be spreading bacteria all over them. A sponge or wash cloth can house 134,630 bacteria/square inch, so you may want to keep it clean. You can either zap the sponge in the microwave for a minute, run it in the dishwasher, or make sure all the food scraps are cleaned off and allow to dry completely. (credit:Getty)

Kitchen Faucet Handle(03 of10)

When you need to wash your hands while making dinner, you have to use the faucet handle (with your dirty hands). The faucet handle essentially sees many hands before they've been washed, so don't forget to wipe it down. (credit:Getty)

Dish Towel(04 of10)

A study written about on NBC.com found that "7 percent of kitchen towels were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the difficult-to-treat staph bacteria that can cause life-threatening skin infections." The best way to avoid germy kitchen towels is to wash them once to twice a week, and allow them to completely air dry. (credit:Corbis)

Microwave Buttons(05 of10)

When is the last time you wiped down your microwave buttons? For many of us, that answer would be close to never. But think about how many times dirty fingers are in contact those buttons. Next time you clean the inside of your microwave (which we sure hope you do), be sure to get the outside too. (credit:Getty)

Salt And Pepper Shaker(06 of10)

In a recent study conducted by the University of Virginia, "researchers asked 30 adults who were beginning to show signs of a cold, to name 10 places they'd touched in their homes over the previous 18 hours. The researchers then tested those areas for cold viruses. The tests found viruses on 41 percent of the surfaces tested, and every one of the salt and pepper shakers tested were positive for cold viruses." To solve this, just remember to wipe down your shakers when you wipe down your kitchen table. (credit:Corbis)

Kitchen Floors(07 of10)

Make sure you mop your kitchen floors regularly, particularly the spot in front of the kitchen sink. You know how dirty that sink and everything that has to do with it can get, and the floor space right next to it is certainly not exempt. (credit:Getty)

Cutting Board(08 of10)

Naturally, the cutting board is full of grooves and gouges from all the cutting that has occurred on it; those are great places for germs to hide. Be sure to thoroughly clean your cutting board with soap and hot water after each use. And it's a good idea to reserve one cutting board for meat and another for fruits and veggies. (credit:Getty)

Kitchen Counters(09 of10)

Kitchen counters get loaded with a bunch of stuff. We throw our keys on them, grocery bags, purses, mail. The list goes on and on. And all these items that we put on the counter are loaded with germs from everywhere else they've been. Be sure to wipe down the counter regularly, and do it with a clean sponge. (credit:Getty)

Kitchen Sink(10 of10)

Since the kitchen sink is where everything that's dirty goes to get cleaned, it makes sense that it's one of the dirtiest (and germ-iest) spots in your kitchen. The best way to solve this is to wipe down your sink regularly; treat it like you would a dirty dish. (credit:Getty)

Professor Wilcox said: “Next time you dry your hands in a public toilet using an electric hand dryer, you may be spreading bacteria without knowing it. You may also be splattered with bugs from other people’s hands.

“These findings are important for understanding the ways in which bacteria spread, with the potential to transmit illness and disease.”

Meanwhile Dyson argue that their Airblade™ hand dryer has been proven to be as hygienic as paper towels, through research commissioned by Dyson and conducted by the University of Bradford (published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology).

“This research was commissioned by the paper towel industry and its flawed. They have tested glove covered hands, which have been contaminated with unrealistically high levels of bacteria, and not washed," said Toby Saville, Dyson microbiologist.

"The Dyson Airblade hand dryer is the fastest, most hygienic way to dry hands and it produces up to 71 per cent less CO2 than paper towels. It can dry 18 pairs of hands for the price of a single paper towel,” he added.

[H/T Telegraph]

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uk lifestyle news Health germs Bathroom washing hands

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