Something in the Air

I’ve heard companies make the claim that electric hand dryers are more “sanitary” than paper towels and that they are better for the environment. The environmental claim always struck me as a bit misleading since our electricity in the United States isn’t always from wind, solar or nuclear power, and since many paper towels are now recycled or from sustainable resources.

But what about the issue of whether electric hand dryers really are sanitary. I always wondered whether electric hand dryer filters might harbor germs or whether they might also spread germs around a restroom.

In the split second that all of that went through my mind while I was in a movie theater restroom with my daughters, I said, “No one use the hand dryer – use the paper towels.” After my daughters looked at me like I was crazy, I thought I would get some hard evidence to answer my questions and impress my skeptical teenagers.

Upon returning from the movie a quick online search turned up The University of Westminster’s comparative study between three different hand drying methods: paper towels, warm air dryer, and jet air dryer. The results gave me all the ammunition I needed.

Essentially, wet skin carries more germs than dry.  Microorganisms prefer a damp environment, and the amount of residual water left on the hands after drying is directly related to the number of bacteria that are transferred by contact. So the drier the hands are, the cleaner they stay.

So which hand drying method is best at drying hands? The study showed that warm air dryers in normal use do not dry the hands as efficiently as either paper or continuous roll towels.  The article points out that paper towels in normal use achieve 93% or more dryness of the hands, making them the better choice for drier, more sanitary hands.

I went back to my daughters armed with my newfound knowledge that not only do dirty filters in hand dryers contain germs, but that hands remaining wet after using a hand dryer are more likely to pick up (and spread) germs.  You will have to decide for yourself; but for me, paper towels will be my choice. But think about this as well: not only will paper towels get your hands drier and remove additional germs, they can also be used to turn off the faucet and to open the door as you exit.

Show me the electric hand dryer that can do that!