The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

Use a Hand Dryer or Paper Towels – But Please Not Your Clothing

Use a Hand Dryer or Paper Towels – But Please Not Your Clothing
17 March 2020
 

With hand washing at the very top of the news agenda right now, it’s important to note that good hand hygiene includes both washing and drying hands thoroughly, says Intelligent Facility Solutions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), “germs can be transferred more easily to and from wet hands; therefore, hands should be dried after washing”.

 

Wet hands are a "no-no"

 

This is because bacteria clings to the moisture on the hands and failing to dry them properly after washing can increase the chances of cross-infection and environmental contamination – precisely what everybody is trying to avoid right now. 

What’s more, avoiding the issue altogether and patting hands dry on clothing is not advised. Like your hands, germs not only get onto clothes from moving around in public, but also, says the NHS, simply from our own bodies. 

“In the midst of the current pandemic, the most responsible and honest message that both industries should be putting out there, and that we at Intelligent Facility Solutions, a leading supplier of commercial hand dryers throughout the world, are happy to say, is that to not wash AND dry your hands thoroughly is a public health risk - and that either paper towels or hand dryers, but not clothing, is a safe and hygienic way to achieve this.” 

–Intelligent Hand Dryers

Earlier this month, March 2020, The World Health Organisation put out this message on the subject of hand washing:

“To protect yourself against the new Coronavirus, you should frequently clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Once your hands are cleaned, you should dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.”

In other words, either drying method is completely safe as long as the hands are cleaned properly, and the choice between dryer and towel should come down to personal preference, or what’s available to use in the washroom.

Recently, we reported on the mixed, and sometimes exaggerated, headlines that appear in the public domain around hand drying methods which range from “paper towels harbour bacteria” to “beware of the electric hand dryer” - which can, in the majority of instances, be traced back to the paper towel and electrical hand dryer industries.

In the article, we referenced the findings of  Dr. Pritam Jagansing Pardeshi, whose in depth 2018 study “A comparison of effect of three hand drying methods on washed hands” for The Global Journal For Research Analysis concludes that “warm air hand dryers, of the type used in this study, are a hygienic method of drying hands and therefore appropriate for use in the healthcare [industry]. Both warm air dryers and paper towels gave acceptable and comparable results.”

 

Drying just as crucial as washing

 

According to Intelligent Facility Solutions, we should be prioritising the safe drying of hands, whatever the method:

“In the midst of the current pandemic, the most responsible and honest message that both industries should be putting out there, and that we at Intelligent Facility Solutions, a leading supplier of commercial hand dryers throughout the world, are happy to say, is that to not wash AND dry your hands thoroughly is a public health risk - and that either paper towels or hand dryers, but not clothing, is a safe and hygienic way to achieve this.” 

Picture: With hand washing at the very top of the news agenda right now, it’s important to note that good hand hygiene includes both washing and drying hands thoroughly, says Intelligent Facility Solutions.

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 17 March 2020

Share



Related Articles

Over-Reliance on Hand Sanitiser Gels May Cause More Harm Than Good

Dr Andrew Kemp has told a national newspaper that it’s not yet been proven that alcohol-based hand sanitiser could kill the virus that causes COVID-19 on...

 Read Full Article
Memorial to Transport Workers who Lost Their Lives to COVID-19 Unveiled

A new memorial in Aldgate that commemorates transport workers who passed away due to COVID-19 has been officially opened by the Mayor of London Sadiq...

 Read Full Article
MPs’ COVID-19 Report Calls on Minimum Standards for Hygiene Infrastructure

MPs are recommending a series of measures to prepare the UK for future public health emergencies, resulting from an inquiry into the role of cleaning during the COVID-19...

 Read Full Article
Sodexo’s Head of Health & Safety Named COVID Workplace Champion

April Harvey from Sodexo has been recognised for her role as health, safety and risk lead in the mobilisation of the first COVID quarantine facility and COVID-19 test...

 Read Full Article
Improving Indoor Air Quality This Winter

During the pandemic, COVID has raised the profile of the quality of the air we breathe in our buildings – how do we maintain this priority throughout the winter...

 Read Full Article
University Researches AI Surveillance for Social Distancing Monitoring 

Researchers at Griffith University, Australia, have developed an AI video surveillance system to detect social distancing breaches in an airport without compromising...

 Read Full Article
BESA Highlights Shortcomings of Government IAQ Report

A report commissioned by the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has highlighted the crucial role played by building ventilation in...

 Read Full Article
University Spin-Out Launches Pathogen Capturing Technology

Working in conjunction with the Defence Forces Ireland and the Czech University of Defence, an Irish medical technology company has developed an innovative Pathogen...

 Read Full Article
Freedom Day – How Do You Feel About Returning to The Office?

For some, Freedom Day marks a much-awaited return to some of our pre-pandemic habits, including working at the office instead of at home. But is everyone keen to come...

 Read Full Article
Public Toilets – What Makes a Great Washroom User Experience?

New research shows the components of a "five-star washroom user experience." Excel Dryer UK recently conducted research into what the general public are...

 Read Full Article