Every few years either the paper towels or the dryer spreads more germs, depends on the mood you know.
Edit: Seems like Big Paper™ sent their goons /s https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(11)00967-9/abstract
First time I’m seeing a claim that paper towels spread more germs. Got a source to back that up?
It doesn’t seem plausible. After wiping your hands dry the bacteria either stayed on your hands or were transferred to the paper towel. I can’t see a path to the air.
Blasting your hands with air fast enough to blow off whole water drops and shatter them would put bacteria in the air.
I presume that when testing their air driers they use a sterile room and thoroughly washed hands in hospital type soap so any bacteria went down the drain and only sterile water was blown into the air
There are a lot of different dryer designs as well, some of which are much more friendly to breeding bacteria than others.
I just wish people would know how to use paper towels so that they don’t end up wasting huge piles of them for nothing. 1 sheet is enough. You don’t need 5. Do it like this:
- After washing your hands, brush excess water off each hand using your other hand. Your hands should not be dripping wet when you reach for the paper towel.
- Take a single paper towel. Don’t scrunch it up, and don’t just clasp the towel. Use all parts of the paper towel to deliberately wipe your hands. The paper towels are quite absorbent. They don’t need to be 100% dry to remove the water from your hands.
The end. If you do this, your hands will not be wet. You will not need a second paper towel.
Funny joke. But yeah, the creation, distribution, and disposal are not free - even if they are created from trees. Using two sheets isn’t a big deal, but why use double what you need?
Anyway, I’m not trying to say we need to be super-frugal with our paper towels. I’m really talking about people who just keep grabbing more and more of them until their hands are dry. I’m sure we’ve all seen bins overflowing with barely-used paper towels. We don’t need that.
Funnily, that’s not really true. Such studies showing that exist but are sponsored by… paper towel companies
Yes, and the ones that show air dryers to be healthier are funded by… hand dryer manufacturers.
Fucking dystopian late stage capitalism… Every fact is not actually a fact cause it’s sponsored by corporate interests
I mean sure, but!
… It trains everyone to make the silly nyaa anime catgirl poses with our arms and hands.
Checkmate.
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