Jet-air hand dryers spread more germs than hand-towels and should be BANNED, scientists claim
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Loading... - Jason Russ
- 07 Sep 2021
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They’re often portrayed as cleaner alternatives to hand -towels, but it seems that jet-air hand dryers may actually not be as clean as you think.
A new study has revealed that jet-air hand dryers spread more germs than paper towels.
Researchers from the University of Leeds have warned that the dryers could lead to bacterial contamination in hospitals , and have called for a ban.
In the study, the researchers looked at the bacterial spread in two toilets in three hospitals - one in Leeds, one in Paris and one in Italy.
Over the 12-week study, the results revealed that bacterial counts were ‘significantly higher’ on days that jet-air dryers were in use.
Professor Mark Wilcox, who led the study, said: “The problem starts because some people do not wash their hands properly.
“When people use a jet-air dryer, the microbes get blown off and spread around the toilet room.
“In effect, the dryer creates an aerosol that contaminates the toilet room, including the dryer itself and potentially the sinks, floor and other surfaces, depending on the dryer design and where it is sited. If people touch those surfaces, they risk becoming contaminated by bacteria or viruses.
“Jet-air dryers often rely on no-touch technology to initiate hand drying. However, paper towels absorb the water and microbes left on the hands and if they are disposed of properly, there is less potential for cross-contamination.”
Worryingly, in the Leeds toilet, Staphylococcus aureus - including MRSA - was found three times more often and in higher amounts on the surface of the jet-air dryers compared with the paper towel dispensers.
And significantly more enterococci and multidrug resistant bacteria were recovered from either the floors or dust of toilets when the jet-air dryers rather than paper towels were in use.
Professor Wilcox said: “We found multiple examples of greater bacterial contamination on surfaces, including by faecal and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, when jet-air dryers rather than paper towels were in use.
“Choice of hand drying method affects how likely microbes can spread, and so possibly the risk of infection.”
