by now we all know the importance of washing our hands during a pandemic. but what hasn’t been talked about as often is hand drying after you have washed.
researchers at the university of leeds recently published a new study looking to see how effective different hand drying methods are at removing residual pathogens on the skin and preventing the spread of pathogens to other surfaces. specifically, they examined the performance and effectiveness of hand dryers and paper towels.
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the results showed that both methods of drying appeared to significantly reduce hand contamination. however, mark wilcox, professor of medical microbiology at the university of leeds, who supervised the international study, said in a press release that the hand dryer caused microbes to get blown off and spread around the bathroom.
while compelling, there are some concerns about the study, according to medical news today. primarily, because the study used only four participants, it can’t draw firm conclusions, and made no effort to randomize. dr. graham wheeler, a medical statistician at university college in london in the u.k. explained that while all four volunteers were asked not to wash their hands after contamination (to simulate poor hand washing), he questioned how many people dry their hands without washing them first.
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despite this, prior studies seem to echo the research team’s findings, indicating the benefits of good hand drying after washing your hands properly. at the end of the day, while we know it’s important to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for 20 seconds, drying properly is important too. so if you’re really concerned about hand drying after washing up, paper towels seem to be the way to go to make sure you’re removing residual germs, and reducing the risk of spreading bacteria to other surfaces.