There was a peer-reviewed report published in the journal for Applied and Environmental Microbiology that studied the amount of bacteria that was blown from hand dryers in 36 public restrooms at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. The sample from the study concluded that as many as 60 colonies of bacteria were blown from a hand dryer in just 30-seconds. A number of those bacteria were linked to fecal and human bacteria, even bacteria known to cause serious infections.

Why YSK: So that you are informed for your own health, hygiene, and wellness and to prevent further spread of more harmful bacteria.

Citation & Sources: “Deposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot-Air Hand Dryers” (April 2018), Applied and Environmental Microbiology

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/AEM.00044-18

  • EnderWi99in@kbin.social
    4·
    1 year ago

    Paid for by the paper towel industry which was in response to the hand dryer industry putting out it’s own paid study about how paper towels just spread fecal matter around your hands. It’s all shit no matter how you spread it.

    • HeroHelck@lemm.ee
      1·
      1 year ago

      It makes me deeply uncomfortable to entertain the thought that “the paper towel industry” is an entity out to manipulate me.

    • eee@lemm.ee
      1·
      1 year ago

      yeah ther’s so much paid propaganda around paper vs dryer that I don’t know what to believe anymore.

      i personally prefer paper, only because it’s usually faster for me.

  • BlueLineBae@midwest.socialEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    I can’t remember where I saw this so take it with a grain of salt… But I remember that the set of studies to come out on the sanitary condition of air dryers was funded by the paper towel industry. Not that the studies aren’t correct or anything, but I do think that it’s something to consider.

  • Loulou@lemmy.mindoki.com
    1·
    1 year ago

    It’s not easy to convey important information when it comes to biology IMO.

    Yeah we breath in fart and poop “particles” all the time, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

    I don’t know about the idea that every time you take a breath you inspire some molecules from when Ceasar said “et tu mon Brutus”, or any other inspiring phrase, but also from one of Hitlers farts.

    Molecules are small, really small and there are really many of them.

    Our immune system works really hard, crazily hard even, and it’s not a simple mechanism (we basically don’t know how it works) but if you want to know if a fan blowing air or towel or a one usage towel is good or bad (or obviously how they influence our wellbeing) you have to do a real study. By scientists, and not by news looking “journalists”.

    BTW fact of the day to throw you off: there are somewhere around 600.000 cells that divide in an adult human body every:

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    second.

    Cheers

  • dan1101@lemm.ee
    0·
    1 year ago

    Yeah if there is nothing but blowers I just wipe my hands on my pants. If the blowers could somehow bring in outside air that should be better, but that complicates the install and maintainence.

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
      0·
      1 year ago

      Just wait a minute and your hands will dry on their own. Ideally you used soap and rubbed them together under the water long enough so they are clean. You did, didn’t you?

  • Osirus@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    1 year ago

    Only wash my hands and flush the toilet in public restrooms that have touch less sinks. If the toilet isn’t automatic, I use my foot. Use the paper towel you wash your hands with to open the door on the way out or your sleeve if you have long sleeves on, or your elbow if it’s a push door. I’d rather have my own dick on my hands than my own and everyone else’s.