Although jet hand dryers might get your hands dry pretty fast, they're actually spreading germs to those around you. A new study has revealed that when compared to paper towels and warm dryers, jet dryers spray 1,300 times more viral plaques than paper towels, sending them up to 10 feet away from the dryer.
The team of researchers examined participants that dipped their hands - covered in gloves - into a solution of the harmless virus MS2. After shaking their hands, they were exposed to the three aforementioned drying methods. The team then collected samples from both the air and petri dishes, which were placed in various locations around the area prior to the experiment.
The results revealed that jet dryers spread viruses farther than any other drying method, calling into question whether their benefits outweigh their downsides.
"These differences in results between the three hand-drying devices can be largely explained by their mode of drying the hands," the team said. "These differences in results between the three hand-drying devices can be largely explained by their mode of drying the hands."
These findings suggest that jet dryers should be avoided in areas where disease transmission should be minimized as much as possible, such as hospitals.
Although the findings don't bode well for jet dryers, they did not test how well the drying methods distribute bacteria, which are much larger in size than viruses and also have the potential to cause disease.
Previous studies have examined the cleanliness of jet dryers, but Dyson - the company that designs the jet hand dryers - claims that in real-world scenarios, paper towels are covered with germs from previous users. Furthermore, they suggest that in experiments such as these, participants' hands are more covered with viruses than they typically would be.
Regardless, many people don't wash their hands at all, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proper hand washing should take 20 seconds long with warm water and soap, something most people likely skimp on. This means that if you're just washing your hands for five seconds and then heading to the hand dryer, your likely going to be increasing viral levels in the air.
The findings were published in the Jan. 20 issue of the Journal of Applied Microbiology.
