Hand dryers are a common thing especially in public bathrooms. It gives you this relaxing feeling of having a clean set of hands. However, what we do not know is that hand dryers contain fecal bacteria; yes it sucks fecal bacteria and it blows it all over your hands. So, instead of cleaning your hands, utilizing hand dryers actually makes your hands dirtier and full of bacteria.
Researchers made a new discovery about hand dryers and fecal bacteria. Apparently, exposing your hands for thirty (30) seconds through a hand dryer, succumbs your newly-washed hands to fecal bacteria. The researchers tried examining plates under a hand dryer for 30 seconds just filled with feces-filled air.
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What were the findings of the researchers?
According to the study published in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology, plates that contained the most contaminated were the ones that were air-blasted and exposed for a longer time. As a matter of fact, they contained 18-60 colonies of bacteria. On the other hand, plates that were exposed for two (2) minutes had one (1) colony fewer than average.
Adding to that fact, the dryer’s nozzles had “minimal bacteria in them” whenever they’re turned on. A team in Connecticut looked at thirty-six (36) bathrooms at the facility of the University of Connecticut School of medicine.
As per Newsweek, one (1) lab is actually manually producing too much PS533 spores; this type of bacteria is harmless, but they’re still bacteria from the Bacillus subtilis. They make up about 2 to 5 percent of the bacteria on the petri dishes/plates that were exposed to the hand dryers longer without the factor of the bathroom’s distance from where the lab where these spores were made.
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The question that baffled the researchers is that, why these air-blasted plates contained more spores. What they thought was that the air, in general, might already be contaminated and the dryers’ act of intense-air-blowing gave room for these spores to circulate. Alternatively, they sought that the dryers were somewhat a type of stockpile of bacteria.
These results indicate that many kinds of bacteria, including potential pathogens and spores, can be deposited on hands exposed to bathroom hand dryers, and that spores could be dispersed throughout buildings and deposited on hands by hand dryers.”
In addition to that, Peter Setlow, an author of the study, said that paper towels are a better alternative to hand dryers. Moreover, he said that all thirty-six bathrooms in the study are now stocked with paper towels. He says that the main cause of bacteria in bathrooms is because of feces.
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Bacteria in bathrooms will come from feces, which can be aerosolized a bit when toilets, especially lidless toilets, are flushed.”
Other than the study, a separate study was made by the University of Leeds School of Medicine in the United Kingdom. What their study was is that they studied and analyzed the effects of using hand dryers every after we wash our hands. Unfortunately, what they found was neither good nor comforting.
Dyson, a hand dryer manufacturer, helped with the study and said different statements. In the video below, you will see what the Leeds School of Medicine found out about hand dryers. Moreover, it’s also noted there that the most important step to proper hygiene is the soaping of your hands properly.
In the video, Business Insider will simply tell you why you should start avoiding hand dryers.
After everything we discussed, you might be wondering, how does all of these happen?
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The fact that bacteria is just scrambled up in bathrooms can be difficult to put together. However, it is far simpler and astounding. It might be bizarre to think about it but actually, when someone flushes the toilet, a few bits and fragments of bacteria gets thrown high in the air – as high as fifteen (15) feet up.
Hand dryers, on the other end of the scale, suck and absorb these bacteria because of the fact that they’re warm – the perfect place for bacteria to dwell on. In addition to the abundant Bacillus bacteria, a number of E. coli bacteria can also be found up in the air every time the flush gets activated.
Now that you know that hand dryers contain fecal bacteria, think twice about drying your hands out that way. Moreover, paper towels are always better since they dry your hands better. Although drying it through a hand dryer leaves a soft effect on your hands, if it doesn’t clean your hand thoroughly, why bother, right?
