I personally do not like air blowers to dry my hands. First of all, my hands seem to still be wet after using an air dryer unless I leave them there for what seems like forever and secondly, I have to grab the door handle to get out of the bathroom. That just feels icky. I always felt that the door handle can contain germs.  This study by the Mao Clinic confirms my beliefs.

In June, the Mayo Clinic published a comprehensive study of every known hand-washing study done since 1970. The authors concluded that drying skin is essential to staving off bacteria, and that paper towels are superior to driers: They’re more efficient, they don’t spatter germs, they won’t dry out hands and most people prefer them. (A co-author of the study has served as a consultant for Kimberly Clark Australia, a maker of paper towels.) Dr. Thompson’s study was one of the dozen samples reviewed, and he concurs with the Even though studies have shown that a thorough washing with soap will remove nearly all traces of bacteria, some germaphobes take extra precautionary measures, like using a paper towel to touch the bathroom door or faucet.

Dr. Thompson doesn’t think that is such a bad idea. “Remember that some people don’t wash their hands at all. So when you turn off the faucet, you contaminate your hands again; then you grab the door handle and you’re picking up whatever germs were left behind.”

Source: Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal

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