Speedy hand dryers may spread more germs
“We question the choice of air dryers in health care settings.”
Ines Moura Research fellow at the University of Leeds and an author of study
Hand-washing always has been important, and the pandemic further magnified its crucial role in helping stop the spread of germs. But a new study also suggests the method used for drying hands can be just as important to public health.
The use of high-speed hand dryers can transfer germs to a person’s clothing and lead to an increase in spreading those contaminants to other surfaces, according to the pilot study published Wednesday in “Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.”
Volunteers in the study took part in an experiment in which they dried their hands with either a hand dryer or paper towels while wearing an apron to test if any contaminants were spread to their clothing. They then took varied paths around a hospital and touched commonly used surfaces.
Levels of germs spread to the surfaces touched by volunteers were 10 times higher after hands were dried with the dryer than with paper towels. And there were greater transfers of bacteria to the apron when the volunteers used the dryer, which further contributed to the spread of germs.
“Based on the user and surface contamination observed following hand-drying using high-speed air dryers, we question the choice of air dryers in health care settings,” said Ines Moura, a research fellow at the University of Leeds and an author of the study.
The results also are relevant for public restrooms with a high amount of foot traffic, Moura said in a news release.
The results are consistent with earlier studies on hand dryers, said Timothy Caulfield, research director at the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta.
Those studies include recommendations that “only paper towels should be used in situations where hygiene is paramount,” such as hospitals, he said.
So why are hand dryers often found in public restrooms?
“I think the move to hand dryers has been driven by many things, including cost, environmental concerns and, paradoxically, the public health push to get more people to wash their hands,” Caulfied told USA TODAY.