As it turns out, over years of studies, paper towels are the winner against the spread of infection better than blow dryers. Why? It has to do with timing:
- The average hair dryer takes 45 seconds to reduce hand moisture by 97% while those who use a paper towel achieve the same thing in only 10 seconds.
- On average, people who use hand dryers only dry their hands for 22 seconds, leaving their hands only 70% dry, while paper towel users can achieve the same outcome in only 5 seconds.
So what does this all mean? If you use either a hand dryer or paper towels, make sure you spend enough time doing both. While paper towels take less time because they have more friction, both can be effective if enough time is permitted.
But the main message here is: wash your hands thoroughly in the first place.
The Showdown: Hand Dryers Vs. Paper Towels was originally published on blackdoctor.org
