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Hand Dryers
Started by Nancy R |
Posted: November 29, 2009 at 20:12 | |
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This was sent to me today by a very trusted friend. I thought that this was very interesting information. 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 flue) 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. 15597
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #1 by ladyk |
Posted: November 29, 2009 at 20:35 | |
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Nancy R - Wow I'm sure there are many 'things less thought of' that we should all be considering. So glad discovery was made, and action taken. Great post! ladyk 15598
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #2 by Nancy R. |
Posted: November 30, 2009 at 01:18 | |
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I checked this out on Snopes. They can neither confirm or deny it, but there have been other studies done that show bacteria being moved as far as 6 feet by hand dryers. I know that Dr. Branson Ritchie, a doctor of veterinary science at the Veterinary College in Georgia doesn't recommend using power washers to clean cages of infected birds because he also feels it just makes bacteria go airborne, so I think it makes perfect sense as far as the hand dryers. In any event, its important to wash your hands thoroughly and to dry them. Perhaps one should simple keep moist towelettes handy. 15600
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #3 by Nancy R |
Posted: November 30, 2009 at 15:48 | |
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Here is the link to the Snopes article. You'll have to decide for yourself. I'll pass. http://www.snopes.com/medical/swineflu/handblower.asp 15604
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #4 by Claude |
Posted: December 2, 2009 at 19:14 | |
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And when I thought this was progress and that we were safe!!!I suppose it is safer to go back to good old paper towels! 15655
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #5 by Shelly |
Posted: December 4, 2009 at 23:57 | |
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I had heard something along these lines also. We usually use the hand dryer and then apply hand-sanitizer that I carry with me. It's a hard call... wet hands are breeding grounds for bacteria, but hands that are dried with bacteria-laden air? Not sure which is worse. 15696
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #6 by Michiko Baltazar |
Posted: February 1, 2010 at 22:32 | |
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I believe that the blower dryers would be perfectly safe as long as the maintenance crew cleans and sanitizes them on a regular basis... 16277
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #7 by Nancy R. |
Posted: February 4, 2010 at 06:01 | |
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I doubt seriously that any blower dryers are ever "cleaned" properly. Heck, we are lucky to find a restroom where the toilets are properly cleaned. 16282
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Re: Hand Dryers
Reply #8 by ladyk |
Posted: February 4, 2010 at 17:34 | |
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I agree Nancy. Who knows who is responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the blowers on a regular basis? Most often we are already maneuvering ourselves in various strange and barely unattainable strategic positions when in public restrooms - for fear of touching anything to anything, let alone blowers blowing bacteria on us! 16287
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