Air hand dryers versus paper towels, what is the most hygienic option?

The pandemic has brought about a deeper understanding of the importance of hygiene and keeping hands and surfaces clean. Restaurants and food businesses have been particularly at risk, and measures have included social distancing, alcohol, wipes, and strict cleanliness regimes.

Those working in the food industry have long known the dangers of viruses and bacteria and are aware of the correct procedures for washing hands. However, for food business owners, it is not just the hygiene of staff that is of concern - many have shared bathroom facilities used by workers and the public. There is also another issue – the best way to dry hands. 

It has been well-publicised that toilets are full of harmful bacteria. The press has regularly reported that hand dryers can spread these germs into the air and all over users and surfaces. But are they correct? 

The debate has been ongoing for a century

The first bathroom towel was developed in 1907, while the earliest ‘drying apparatus’ was patented in 1922. For almost 100 years, the two have competed, with paper towels by far being the most common and popular option. But that has been changing in the last few decades, and the debate between the two industries has been surprisingly fierce.

The first study into hygiene differences was conducted in 1953, and there have been dozens of studies since. The debate became noticeably more intense once Dyson entered the fray in 2006. Those selling paper towels claim hand dryers blow bacteria all over the bathroom and onto hands. Hand dryer companies say there is no difference, and they have been the victim of propaganda. 

So, who is correct? The problem is that most of the studies have been sponsored by one side or the other and consequently find the results they want. 

More respected studies favour hand towels

One of the more respected peer-reviewed studies was conducted in 2000 by the Mayo Clinic. It found that in terms of removing bacteria from washed hands, there was very little difference between the two. But a separate study in 2012, also by the Mayo Clinic, found that from a hygiene viewpoint, paper towels were superior and recommended their use in locations where cleanliness was paramount.

A recent study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology looked at the issue in relation to Covid-19. Volunteers had a harmless virus applied to their hands, which they washed and dried using a hand dryer or paper towel. The researchers then examined the amount that spread to surfaces in the bathroom and around the hospital. The research found the air dryer spread more of the virus. However, some were critical of the study for not standardising or describing how hands were washed.

This criticism points to the bigger problem. For perfectly clean hands, paper versus dryer seems closely debated. The problem is, even with the pandemic, many people still don’t wash their hands properly. This isn’t an issue with food professionals who understand cleanliness and the importance of washing thoroughly. But not everyone who uses shared bathrooms is as clean, and consequently, bacteria from their hands are more likely to spread when blasted with hot air. 

So, the winner is what many in the press have argued for decades – paper towels are more hygienic. But the most essential part is washing hands in the first place. 

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(12)00393-X/pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10907386/

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/apr/25/hand-dryers-paper-towels-hygiene-dyson-airblade

https://www.twinfm.com/article/hand-dryers-vs-paper-towels-whats-the-latest-advice

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/from-the-hospital-toilet-to-the-ward-a-pilot-study-on-microbe-dispersal-to-multiple-hospital-surfaces-following-hand-drying-using-a-jet-air-dryer-versus-paper-towels/FA51D26C9C3DC261D35F122EF97593D5

Article Published by: Food Safety Select