Study Finds Paper Towels more Effective than Hand Dryers in Removing Bacteria

Paper towels are more hygienic than hand dryers, according to a new study.

Hand-washing is a quick, easy and efficient way to reduce the risk of infectious diseases. However, bacteria are more likely to grow on wet surfaces and so, drying hands after washing them is a good way to prevent cross-contamination. Now, a team of researchers has found that the best way to dry hands is to use paper towels.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Queensland University of Technology and their colleagues, who found that paper towels are more efficient in drying hands and removing bacteria than electric air dryers or the new jet air dryers.

For the study, researchers looked at data available from 12 studies that were conducted to test the efficiency of cloth towels, paper towels and electric dryers.

"A hand dryer takes 30 seconds longer to achieve about the same dryness as a towel and this is important because most people spend less than 20 seconds drying their hands in a washroom," said Dr. Cunrui (Ray) Huang, one of the study authors. "One study found that after 15 seconds of drying with a towel the residual water on the hands was reduced to one per cent, whereas after 45 seconds under a hot air dryer the residual water was reduced to three per cent."

According to Huang, paper towels might be more hygienic than hand dryers because they physically remove bacteria.

"Hand-drying effectiveness includes the speed of drying, degree of dryness, effective removal of bacteria and prevention of cross-contamination," Dr. Huang said in a news release.

The study is published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.                         

A review of this study by PubMed Health says that while using public restrooms, people should use whatever drying facilities are available, because drying hands is as essential as washing them thoroughly.