Washington Post:
Researchers coated subjects’ hands with Lactobacillus, a harmless bacteria that you don’t typically come across in a public bathroom. The idea was to mimic hands that hadn’t been washed properly. After drying hands, researchers went in and conducted 120 air-sampling tests. They found that Lactobacillus counts in the air were 4½ times higher near high-powered jet dryers than around warm-air dryers. And bacteria counts were 27 times higher near warm-air dryers than when subjects used paper towels.
Ok, that’s it. I’m simply not going to use public washrooms any more.
I used one of those Dyson Airblade hand dryer in a public restroom the other day and it was wicked awesome…
This is not surprising in the least.
In light of the above, as awesome as it might be, it’s probably a petri dish full of all sorts of goodies… Not to mention it’s like a game of Operation trying not to touch the sides…
Better off just peeing in an alley somewhere.
OMG Yes! Operation!! That’s what it was like as I tried not to touch the sides. That’s hilarious!! — That said, the Dyson uses infrared and HEPA filters. I’d like to see a peer-reviewed study that details the bacteria fighting power (if any) of the Air Blades…
Never used public restrooms. Not missing anything, I see.
Maybe I’m just dense, but if you just washed your hands (a reasonable prerequisite to using the hand driers), what bacteria do you still have on your hands to spread?
See above – the demonstration was about people who don’t wash them enough.
Which is probably most people.
Contra people above, though, I don’t care – phobic fear of bacteria is too commonplace, and complete antisepsis weakens the immune system, as of my latest information.
“Oh noes, 27 times higher than paper towels” – yeah, but what’s the actual level and what danger does that actually present in the real world? 27 times almost zero is still almost zero, if you know what I mean.
See also, in the link, “What you do with your hands under a dryer makes a big difference: The 2011 study found that people who kept their hands still under dryers reduced almost the same amount of bacteria as those using paper towels. But rubbing hands together under a dryer actually spreads more bacteria around.”
I prefer paper towels, but because they dry the hands better, faster, and more quietly, not because of clickbait about Evil Germs.
Just spent the last two months looking after my kid in Hospital. You know what you don’t see in Hospitals? Air hand dryers.
Or, if you didn’t have enough to be paranoid about.
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/time-warp-toilet-flush.htm
Yup, because hospital technique includes turning the (dirty) water tap off with the paper towel, rather than your now clean hands. Air dryers would require motion sensing taps to address the shut-off issue.
I mentioned before my guessing game with stories, Shawn; I just wanted you to know I guessed right on this one.
I have no idea why. Maybe just as someone lives in the Vancouver area, I haven’t quite given up on public washrooms COMPLETELY yet.
I, too, prefer paper towels. But for a different reason: A paper towel gives me something to open the door with.
Washrooms without paper towels assume the person before you even tried to wash their hands. I don’t have that much trust in my fellow man.
This stuff is meaningless. Your desk has more than 400x the number of bacteria as a toilet seat.
But did they ensure that all folks used proper hand washing techniques. Many folks don’t feel like those blade dryers get their hands dry and barely wash their hands so they aren’t as wet. Which could cause the results seen
You know what else you don’t see? Folks that don’t know how to properly wash their hands. At least among staff
“See above – the demonstration was about people who don’t wash them enough.”
If you don’t wash well how you dry is moot
I just dry my hands on the guy next to me. Sometimes I even wash first.
Restrooms in Japan frequently have no dryer/towels at all. Wash hands, wipe with your own handheld cloth or just go out with wet hands.
must be nice to be holed up somewhere and never have to venture out into public to enjoy life. er, wait, that doesnt sound nice at all.
the door thing is pure insanity — you arent doing anything by using a paper towel on the door handle. unless, of course, you dont touch anything that comes in contact with other humans, such as currency. do you handle paper bills? if so, you can stop worrying about the door handle now.
Bullshit. The pull door handle is the very first thing people who are KNOWN to have just used the bathroom without washing their hands touch. You can at times smell the urine on it.
Actually, that’s fine. It’s true that I’m a shut-in (and I quite prefer it that way). So my “solution” won’t work for most people! 🙂