YES — hand washing is an extremely part of everyday life, but don’t forget about hand DRYING!
Drying your hands with paper towels is critical to proper hand hygiene, as they can remove up to 77% of the bacteria that remains on hands after washing.
Wet or moist hands can breed and transfer germs more easily, because germs literally thrive on moisture!
Paper towels are the most hygienic hand drying option over jet air dryers. Here are some pretty gross facts that show why:
- Jet air dryers blow water droplets containing bacteria from the hands as far as 6.5 feet and linger in the air for up to 15 minutes.
- Jet air dryers can actually increase bacteria by 42% on users’ fingers during the drying process.
- A study found using a jet air dryer dispersed 1,300 times more germ particles than drying with paper towels.
- The inner surfaces of a jet air dryer can harbor 48 times more bacteria than found on a toilet seat.
- Coliform bacteria (the kind found in feces) were found on 52% of jet air dryers tested.
Towels are preferred, too!
The World Health Organization recommends single-use paper towels in its patient safety instructions for health care workers, and 90% of people show a preference for paper towels over jet air dryers in the washroom.
So give the people what they want, and stop germs in their tracks with paper towels!
Get the science behind the numbers above, courtesy of our friends at Kimberly-Clark Professional: Download the Science!
