There has been much debate that have been going around regarding the use of hand dryers and if it is indeed more dangerous compared to the conventional process of wiping your hands dry using a paper towel.
In a study recently published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, researchers from the Department of Biomedical Sciences from the University of Westminster, UK, conducted an experiment that could test three popular hand drying methods and determine health risks involved with the transmission of pathogenic mirco-organisms.
The researchers tested three of the most common hand drying methods which are paper towel drying, warm air drying and jet air drying to test how these are responsible for dispersing viruses and contamination of the surrounding area when in use.
Test participants were asked to wear a hand gloves that were contaminated with a variety of viruses, have it washed with soap and water and then dried using the stated drying methods.
Test findings revealed that the jet air dryer topped the list of the most efficient way of dispersing germs from the source to the environment and spread 1,300 time more than paper towels and 60 times more than conventional warm air dryers.
A leading jet air dryer manufacturer, however, disputed that the tests were conducted under artificial conditions and that the virus levels on the gloved hands were unrealistically high, adding that hand drying is usually done after the hands are washed, which in one way or another, have significantly washed off a significant amount of disease causing viruses.
Some medical quarters, however, also suggested to that the issue here is not even about hand drying but more of the proper way of washing the hands, especially since washing is the direct process of disinfecting the hands from disease-causing germs and viruses.
The hands are among the most common carriers of diseases and one example is that feces or human food waste from man and animals is a veritable breeding ground of viruses like Salmonella, e coli and novo virus are usually passed around unconsciously through the hands when it comes in contact with surfaces that are contaminated by this waste matter.
An action as simple as changing diapers, handling raw meats with traces of animal feces in it or by using the toilet can contaminate the hands with disease-laden germs.
Proper hand washing must always be a regular practice each and every time by using an antibacterial soap and water, by thoroughly rubbing every area of the hand with soap and rinsing it thoroughly.
The post Think Twice Before Drying Your Hands appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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