owever, hand drying has received much less attention.
- Some microbes remain on the hands after washing, and these are more easily spread around if hands are not dried adequately.
- Proper hand drying completes the hand washing process by reducing the risk of transmission of microbes.
- Generally available hand drying methods in public washrooms are based on either water absorption (single use paper and textile towels) or water dispersal by several ways (warm air dryers, high velocity air dryers).
- There is evidence that hand drying using towels is associated with lower numbers of microbes both on the hands and in the washroom environment than using warm air dryers or high velocity air dryers.
- Warm air dryers are less efficient than other methods at drying the hands. Damp hands are more likely to transfer microbes.
- High velocity air dryers are particularly likely to spread microbes because they blow water that contains microbes off the hands. These microbes could contaminate the user, other persons and the washroom environment.
- These points have implications for the prevention of spread of microbes and potential infection, especially in settings where hygiene is very important. Therefore, the choice of hand drying methods should take into account the risk of contaminating the hands, other individuals or the environment