Drying your hands in the public toilet

[DACH]

Public toilets are getting convenient and hygienic in many public areas like shopping malls, schools, community centers, and even parks. Everytime after washing our hands in the public toilets, there will be choices of how to dry your wet hands fitted in the toilets, either paper towels or hand dryers or both. 

 

http://theconversation.com/the-great-bathroom-debate-paper-towel-or-hand-dryer-51197

 

Which one would you normally prefer to use?

 

 

 

PAPER TOWELS OR HOT AIR DRYERS - WHICH IS BETTER & WHY?

http://info.debgroup.com/blog/bid/297155/Paper-Towels-or-Hot-Air-Dryers-Which-is-Better-Why

 

We all know 80% of common infectious diseases are spread by our hands and effective hand washingremains our best defense - but what about hand drying? Are all methods created equal?    

 

A recent hygienic efficacy study of different hand drying methods, led by researches at Queensland University in Brisbane, Australia put this question to the test.  Hand drying after all is an essential part of the hand washing process, as the spread of bacteria is more likely to occur with wet skin than from dry skin. 

 

Scientists reviewed twelve independent studies comparing paper towels, cloth towels, and hot air dryers.  Hand drying effectiveness included, "the speed of drying, degree of dryness, effective removal of bacteria, and prevention of cross-contamination."

Before you read the results of this latest study, please cast your vote on which drying method is more effective. Please also use the comments section below to share your feedback and insight about other studies and best practice recommendations. 

 

The study revealed, "from a hygiene viewpoint, paper towels are superior to electronic air dryers" and "drying hands thoroughly with single-use, disposable paper towels is the preferred method of hand drying."  It concluded by recommending, "The provision of paper towels should be considered as a means of improving hand hygiene adherence." 

 

When it came to drying efficiency for example, the results indicated that, "residual water was more efficiently removed from the hands by cloth or paper towels." In fact, with just 10 seconds of drying with a single serve towel, the residual water on the hands was reduced to just 4% and dropped to just 1% with 15 seconds of drying.  Air dryers were much slower and required 45 seconds to reduce the residual water to 3%.  The bottom line, paper towels can generally achieve 90% or more dryness with normal use.

 

The effectiveness in the removal of bacteria was measured by assessing the, "changes in the number of bacteria on the hands before and after the use of paper towels, hot air dryer, or jet air dryer.  Finger pads were sampled by contact plates, and the palms were sampled by swabbing and inoculation of agar plates." 

 

They found that paper towels, "reduced the numbers of all types of bacteria on the hands" and hot air dryers were the least effective method of removing bacteria from washed hands.  Many studies have found that friction is the key component in hand drying as it helps to remove contamination.  Micobiological testing of the paper towels after use, demonstrates that many bacteria are transferred from the hands to the paper towels."

 

Even more terrifying for all of us is the fact that every time a toilet is flushed, "a fine aerosol mist can be sprayed into the air.  This mist may contain may types of fecal bacteria that can cause diseases. Air movement can encourage the dispersal and transmission of bacteria and increase the chance of cross-contamination.  Used air dryers in washrooms are often contaminated and can emit bacteria in their air flow.  So there is a potential risk of persons standing in front of air dryers acquiring the bacteria being  dispersed into the air current towards them.  The bacteria can then be inhaled or can be deposited on the person's body or clothes, thus making him/her a potential mobile source of infection."  No such spread was seen with either paper or cloth towels.

  

The review suggests that ultimately paper towels are the best option for settings where infection prevention is critical.  However you may have no choice, which is often the case in public or workplace washrooms in which only hot air dryers are provided.  The study did reveal that users have a strong preference for using paper towels and that "hand hygiene adherence would possibly decrease if paper towels are not available in washrooms." 

 

Also, air dryers that are used in many washrooms allow for only one user at a time and each person could take up to one minute to dry their hands.  This is not convenient and often leads to avoidance or incomplete drying.  In several studies, on average people spent just 22.5 seconds drying hands, and 41% wiped their hands unhygienically on clothes.

 

In instances where paper towels are not available remember to always follow recommended hand washing technique, take extra time to dry your hands with an air dryers and consider carrying a personal size bottle of alcohol hand sanitizer as an added level of defense.  

 

Edited January 28, 2018 by DACH

[kdash]

voted! and congrats again!

[Kangadrool]

Never like the current trend of dripping tap water in the guise of saving water. I see so many people keep pressing or moving hands up and down to activate water.

[Jamesc]

The real problem is so many people don't bother washing their hands.

 

Let alone dry it with a paper towel or air dryer.

 

[Watwheels]

Fantastic topic for ppl who have OCD.

[Jamesc]

I believe if you wash your hands with soap and just a simple wash

 

not a full surgeon scrubbing it will kill 99.9% of all the germs.

 

So whether the paper towel or air dryer kills the last 0.01% doesn't really matter.

 

What matter is not washing your hands will leave 100% of the germs there.

 

[Kb27]

talking about hygiene, here's a disgusting thing I saw in a man's (esso station) toilet.

one guy put his kkj in the wash basin to wash.

the next guy to put his mouth in the wash basin...aarh.

 

if you need to rinse your mouth in a wash basin, make sure it's one in the open and not in a enclosed toilet.

[kdash]

talking about hygiene, here's a disgusting thing I saw in a man's (esso station) toilet.

one guy put his kkj in the wash basin to wash.

the next guy to put his mouth in the wash basin...aarh.

 

if you need to rinse your mouth in a wash basin, make sure it's one in the open and not in a enclosed toilet.

oh man... can... not... unsee...

[Mockngbrd]

Was it radx?

[Ysc3]

talking about hygiene, here's a disgusting thing I saw in a man's (esso station) toilet.

one guy put his kkj in the wash basin to wash.

the next guy to put his mouth in the wash basin...aarh.

 

if you need to rinse your mouth in a wash basin, make sure it's one in the open and not in a enclosed toilet.

damn !! i regret clicking on this thread man .....

[Fcw75]

talking about hygiene, here's a disgusting thing I saw in a man's (esso station) toilet.

one guy put his kkj in the wash basin to wash.

the next guy to put his mouth in the wash basin...aarh.

 

if you need to rinse your mouth in a wash basin, make sure it's one in the open and not in a enclosed toilet.

Wah lau eh bro. What has been seen cannot be unseen.

 

But what has been read cannot be unread for us!

 

Arghhhhhhh....

[DACH]

talking about hygiene, here's a disgusting thing I saw in a man's (esso station) toilet.

one guy put his kkj in the wash basin to wash.

the next guy to put his mouth in the wash basin...aarh.

 

if you need to rinse your mouth in a wash basin, make sure it's one in the open and not in a enclosed toilet.

 

I don't know to feel disgusted or not. 

 

So funny. 

[Victor68]

I agree that hand dryers are not that effective. With some installed directly above the bins, it is a very 'stupid' idea of having air blown directly down the bin and you standing there.

 

While paper hand towel is great, many people somehow didn't know the proper way of using them. I can see users pulling at least 5 sheets just to dry their hands. Don't they try to 'swing' dry before pulling a single sheet to dry? You should also 'open' up the paper to that the entire paper is used to dry your hand.

 

Another bigger issue is people brings in these paper hand towel into the WC cubicle then they flush them down the bowl. If the paper tower is suppose to dry your hand, how could these paper dissolve and not cause chokage to the plumbing?

 

The last point I hope people involved in design could take note. Any install hand dry or paper hand towel far away from wash basin? With users not swinging their hand dry before proceeding to these dryers, water drips all over the floor. Once the floor is wet, it is dirty.

 

We are still very poor with toilet etiquette. Maybe some posters will improve but I still think start with schools will be more effective.

[kdash]

I agree that hand dryers are not that effective. With some installed directly above the bins, it is a very 'stupid' idea of having air blown directly down the bin and you standing there.

 

While paper hand towel is great, many people somehow didn't know the proper way of using them. I can see users pulling at least 5 sheets just to dry their hands. Don't they try to 'swing' dry before pulling a single sheet to dry? You should also 'open' up the paper to that the entire paper is used to dry your hand.

 

Another bigger issue is people brings in these paper hand towel into the WC cubicle then they flush them down the bowl. If the paper tower is suppose to dry your hand, how could these paper dissolve and not cause chokage to the plumbing?

 

The last point I hope people involved in design could take note. Any install hand dry or paper hand towel far away from wash basin? With users not swinging their hand dry before proceeding to these dryers, water drips all over the floor. Once the floor is wet, it is dirty.

 

We are still very poor with toilet etiquette. Maybe some posters will improve but I still think start with schools will be more effective.

childcare centres nowadays teach the kids to wipe their hands using tissues after washing.

[Jman888]

JEM is using paper towels in all their toilet (not those that need to tear one), I believe those were recyclable paper. But the amount of paper used everyday is scary

[serenade]

I like paper towels in public toilets where there is a door knob. After use to dry my hands after washing, I use the same towel as a shield between my clean hand and the door knob to pull door open. 

 

If no paper towel, I wait till someone opens the door from the outside then I go out. No need to touch knob with my clean hands.

 

Have seen quite a few people come out of cubicle, don't wash hands, use their bare hand to open the door.   

[kdash]

I like paper towels in public toilets where there is a door knob. After use to dry my hands after washing, I use the same towel as a shield between my clean hand and the door knob to pull door open. 

 

If no paper towel, I wait till someone opens the door from the outside then I go out. No need to touch knob with my clean hands.

 

Have seen quite a few people come out of cubicle, don't wash hands, use their bare hand to open the door.   

 

ya man, the doorknob is dripping wet, and you dont know what the liquid on it is... wahahahha...   

[BanCoe]

ya man, the doorknob is dripping wet, and you dont know what the liquid on it is... wahahahha...   

Proteins lah !!