Washing our hands in public places!

[TracieGold 282]

This certainly is interesting information for all of us and also makes sense.

Everyone in the cleaning industry has always been told that hand dryers in restrooms are not sanitary, they spread germs and bacteria around. I always thought that this just came from the paper companies because they are loosing sales to the hand dryers. A couple of years ago, I was working with a rep, and I noticed that after he washed his hands and noticed that there were no paper towels, only a hand dryer he left the restroom with wet hands. I asked him about it. He said that hand dryers blow a lot of germs and bacteria around. He also told me to take a look under the hand dryer next time I was in a restroom. There is a filter underneath the hand dryer that is supposed to be cleaned on a weekly basis. I looked at one and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. It had layers and layers of caked on gunk (disgusting). Since then I will not use hand dryers in restrooms. Now this is where the story gets really interesting. The schools and universities that have had the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak this year are being told by the health department that they have to take out all of their hand dryers and replace them with towel dispensers because the hand dryers are spreading disease. Please pass this along so everyone knows not to use hand dryers.

By Meredith and Carl Johnson

Iowa

Extracted from an article in the New York Times

Hugs to all,

Tracie:rolleyes:

[Guest S*rca****sid]

Sounds like a case for the Mythbusters...

[TracieGold 282]

Hi Sid the Sarcastic....here you can read bout the research....

Hugs!

Hot air and paper towels in the public bathroom

 

Category: Environmental health • Epidemiology • Infectious disease • Product safety

Posted on: February 19, 2009 7:24 AM, by revere

Like a lot of people I am more inclined to believe research that is in accord with my prior beliefs. Put another (Bayesian) way, I don't have to change my beliefs much on the basis of evidence. That means I don't question the evidence rigorously. So with that warning, here's a story I instinctively believe because it accords with my prior beliefs -- and preferences. It has to do with washing your hands after using a public bathroom.

To be clear at the outset: I always wash my hands after using the bathroom. I'm not sure what the actual evidence for disease transmission is but I consider it an aesthetic matter and good etiquette. But I also hate the hot air hand dryers many public bath rooms have installed instead of providing towels. Yes, I know there's a solid waste issue. But it takes longer and it doesn't leave my hands feeling clean. Now a study of paper towels, warm air dryers and the unique Dyson Air Blade hand dryer, done at the University of Westminster and paid for by the European Tissue Symposium, has validated my prior preferences. Note that the European Tissue Symposium doesn't refer to biological tissue researchers. These are makers of paper towels, so consider the source. With that out of the way, here's what they found:

There were four parts to the study: Part A looked at the drying efficiency of hand drying method; Part B involved counting the number of different types of bacteria on the hands before and after drying; Part C studied the potential contamination of other users and the washroom environment; and Part D took a bacterial sampling of

Dyson Airblade dryers

in public washrooms.

Paper towels and the Dyson Airblade were found to be equally efficient at drying hands, each achieving 90% dryness in approximately 10sec. However, the warm air dryer was considerably less efficient, taking 47sec to achieve the same level of dryness.

Twenty subjects (10 male and 10 female) were used in Part B. Three different agar growth media (nutrient, cystine-lactose-electrolyte-deficient and mannitol salt agar) were used to count and identify the bacteria on the fingerpads and palms before and after washing and drying.

Paper towels were found to reduce the number of all types of bacteria on the fingerpads by up to 76% and on the palms by up to 77%. By comparison, the Dyson Airblade increased the numbers of most types of bacteria on the fingerpads by 42% and on the palms by 15%. However, after washing and drying hands under the warm air dryer, the total number of bacteria increased by 194% on the fingerpads and on the palms by 254%.

The Dyson Airblade performed less well than paper towels and the warm air dryer in Part C in which the hands of 10 subjects were artificially contaminated with yeast suspension. During use, open agar plates were placed at 0.25m intervals from the hand-drying device up to a maximum of 2m. Yeast colonies that grew on the plates were counted.

The Dyson Airblade dispersed potential contamination to other users and the washroom environment to a distance of at least two metres, whereas paper towels spread contamination 0.50m and the warm air dryer 0.25m.

Part D showed that the Dyson Airblade dryers in the public washroom sampled were contaminated with large numbers of bacteria, including potential pathogens such as E. coli, staphylococcus and pseudomonas aeruginosa, particularly the bottom of the hand drying chamber

According to Keith Redway, senior academic in the department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Westminster: “The results of all parts of this study suggest that the use of warm air dryers and jet air dryers should be carefully considered in locations where hygiene is of paramount importance, such as hospitals, clinics, kitchens and other food preparation areas, schools, nurseries and care homes.” (Clean Room Technology [uK])

Happy now?

Trace8-)

[Jiffy 637]

Just a side note: The study doesn't really say much and doesn't really substantiate any claims. There are too many variables for the results to be taken seriously.

[buggernot 588]

There was this bit at the bottom:

 

"The Dyson Airblade folks are unhappy, saying the University of Westminster's methodology was faulty and noting that this was paid for by the paper towel industry."

 

Not that any of it matters, this still could fall under urban legend, and definitely does not fit under SP Advertisements. There is another section for General Discussion here...no offense Tracie, just pointing that out ;)

[TracieGold 282]

Thanks Buggernot,

I thought it was good information

Tracie (and not hard feelings....)

[Cowboy kenny 50799]

I agree with buggernot, and although I believe this debate to be more urban legend than fact. It does belong under general discussion, not here.

 

The best way to prevent spreading of germs using a hand dryer is by starting it with your elbow if it does not have a motion sensor to start working.

[Guest gagagaga]

my penis is clean...bathroom's are dirty

[buggernot 588]

my penis is clean...bathroom's are dirty

 

Well there you go...make sure you avoid bathrooms at all costs. Only bad things can happen there!

 

Swine flu has changed how I do things drastically. I will no longer touch anyone or anything, leave the house, or give BBBJ's unless the individual presents the a 'swine flu free' card. Hey...don't be surprised by that last part, this hobby is expensive, I have to supplement my income somehow!

[Guest S*rca****sid]

I have been thinking about this thread ever since I first read it. I can't stop thinking about the holes in the original post.

 

First of all, it states that the dryer blows germs around. How would that be possible? If the reason why the person is using the dryer in the first place is due to the fact that the person has washed their hands (soap and water). So the only thing on your hands would be just water.

 

Secondly, the filter. What filter? What is the purpose of the filter if the dryer is only blowing hot air? Why would it be dirty? It's not a towel, and there wouldn't be any reason to rub your hands on a filter. Yesterday I was in a washroom with hand dryers and looked to see if there were any type of filter and all I saw was a nozzle which is where the air comes from and a vent where (I assume) the dryer sucks the air in to blow out. Think of it like a vacuum only in reverse.

 

When it comes to bathrooms, there is only one thing I believe we should be concerned about. All the areas we touch before washing our hands and after (i.e. flush handle, faucets and door handles). These are the real dangers. Cause we all have seen those people who just leave the bathroom without washing or just wet their hands.

I'm one of those people who believe that public washrooms should be automated, and NO door handles. I like the Rideau center with the curved entrance to the washroom.

 

Finally, I think this is all just an Urban Legend. It's interesting how a few people on here will believe something like this without any investigating at all! Yet when it comes to finding the right MP or SP, they will take the extra time and ask the right questions.