Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Using hand dryers
• Part 2 of 2: Analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of hand dryers
• Tips
• Warnings
• Similar articles

Most restrooms have hand dryers, but no one really knows exactly how to use them. Regular hand washing is an essential part of hygiene, but few people know that effective hand drying is just as important if you want to stay healthy and prevent germs from spreading. This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of hand dryers, as well as short instructions on how to use them correctly and hygienically.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Using hand dryers

1. 1 Wash your hands thoroughly before drying them with the dryer. Although hand drying is essential to reduce the spread of germs, thorough hand washing is even more important to good hygiene. Before you dry your hands with the dryer, wash your hands as follows:
   • Wet your hands under warm or cold clean running water.
   • Take the soap and lather your hands, rubbing them together, making sure to lather the back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails.
   • Lather your hands for at least 20 seconds.
   • Rinse your hands under clean running water.
2. 2 Get rid of excess moisture on your hands. To do this, gently shake the water into the sink. The more moisture you remove, the faster you dry your hands with the dryer.
3. 3 Follow the directions on the machine. Most dryers have a diagram or instructions on how to use the dryer correctly and hygienically.
4. 4 Place your hands under the dryer. Most modern dryers turn on automatically when hands are placed under them.
   • This makes the process more hygienic, as you do not have to press a button that many other people have pressed before you.
5. 5 Open your palms in the direction of the air stream and let it blow the water off your hands. Place your palms at an angle slightly so that the water drips off them.
6. 6 Do not rub with your hands while holding them under the dryer. Whatever you think, rubbing your hands under the dryer will not speed up the drying process, but will only lead to the spread of germs.
7. 7 Wait until your hands are completely dry. Keep your hands under the dryer until they are completely dry, as wet hands can spread germs.
8. 8 Do not put your hands inside the unit or touch the rim. These areas are teeming with germs, so touching them can negate the effects of hand washing. It will also expose people who dry their hands after you to a greater risk of contracting germs.
9. 9 Remove your hands when you're done drying them. Most modern dryers will turn off automatically if you step away from the unit or remove your hands from under the dryer. Some models turn off after a certain period of time.

Part 2 of 2: Analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of hand dryers

1. 1 Save water and save trees. Instead of grabbing onto a paper towel, use a hand dryer. This will save trees and water.
   • To replace the paper towels we throw away every day, about 51,000 trees are cut down every day.
   • It takes 17 trees and 75 tons of water to produce one ton of paper towels.
2. 2 Reduced waste. Unlike using paper towels, hand drying with hand dryers significantly reduces waste.
   • Globally, the use of paper towels results in 254 million tonnes of waste per year.
   • More than 5 billion paper towels are used annually in America alone.
3. 3 Reducing the spread of germs. While washing your hands thoroughly is ideal to prevent the spread of germs, drying your hands also reduces the spread of bacteria.
   • According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), germs are better transferred to and from wet hands.
4. 4 Prevent water stains on clothing. If you wash your hands and do not dry them, water stains may appear on your clothes. Use a hand dryer to prevent this from happening.
5. 5 Evaluate the environmental impact of dryers. While dryers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they do have some environmental impact. They need electricity to work, and therefore the emission of carbon dioxide still cannot be avoided.
   • Drying your hands with a conventional 220 volt hand dryer three times a day for a year results in the emission of 10.88 kg of carbon dioxide.
   • To estimate the greenhouse gas emissions from dryer use, you need to consider how your electricity company generates electricity. The more coal it uses, the more carbon the dryer produces.
6. 6 Assess the risks to human health. Scientists have come to believe that paper towels are the more sanitary choice. Here are some of the main reasons why hand dryers are less effective at preventing the spread of germs:
   • Dryers in public places are rarely cleaned.
   • People often stick their hands in the dryer or touch the rim, leaving bacteria on its surface.
   • Dryers can blow bacteria onto various surfaces and the people who use them.
   • In one study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, a team of researchers determined that high-speed dryers left behind 4.5 times more bacteria than conventional warm air dryers and 27 times more bacteria than paper towels. However, another group of researchers questioned the methods that were used in this study.

Tips

• Researchers agree that paper towels are more hygienic than hand dryers, so if you're worried about the spread of bacteria, go for paper towels.

Warnings

• Do not rub with your hands while drying your hands under the dryer as this will spread germs.
• To prevent the spread of germs, do not put your fingers inside the dryer or touch the rim of the unit.

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