Thinking Before Using a Hand Dryer

After washing your hands, it sure isn't good to leave it wet. So to dry it, too many hand dryers become an option. But, did you know that hand dryers can pose a risk to your health? Hand dryer can be found anywhere, especially in public facilities, such as hotels, malls, or hospitals. The main reason this machine is often used after washing hands is because it is fast and practical. But the fact is, dry does not always mean clean.

Hand Dryers Increase the Spread of Bacteria

The purpose of washing hands is to clean dirt and germs from the hands. Hand washing should be done routinely to avoid the spread of diseases that can be transmitted through the touch of a hand. Germs are more easily spread through wet hands. For this reason, it is important to dry your hands after washing your hands. But unfortunately, instead of ensuring hand hygiene, the use of a hand dryer can actually increase the spread of bacteria. This happens because a hand dryer can spread bacteria from the hands into the air, and these bacteria will remain in the air for some time afterwards. For example, jet-air dryers can spread bacteria up to a distance of 2 meters. According to research, this bacterium can still be detected in the air around the hand dryer until 15 minutes afterwards. Not only that, hand dryers near the toilets are also usually unhygienic because they may be exposed to soft splashes from the toilet when rinsing. Research also shows that a hand dryer takes longer than toilet paper, cloth or towels to dry out, even though some people might think otherwise. As a result, the hands are not dried properly, so that bacteria more easily stick to the surface of the hands that are still wet or damp.

Come, Clean and Dry Hands Correctly

This message seems trivial and maybe you are already bored reading or hearing it many times. But if you want to avoid various diseases, you need to understand and really practice how to wash your hands properly. Therefore, let's pay close attention to the following steps to clean and dry hands:

• Wet hands with running water, using cold or warm water.
• Rub your hands with soap to foam. Do not forget to rub between the fingers, as well as the palm and back of the hand to the fingers.
• Continue to rub your hands for at least 20 seconds or sing a happy birthday song from beginning to end twice as a guide.
• Rinse hands with running water.
• Dry your hands using a tissue. Well, if there is no tissue, dry your hands using a hand dryer with a still hand position, until it is completely dry.

Hand hygiene is important to prevent the spread of bacteria. However, consider again if you want to use a hand dryer, especially in public places. If there is no other choice, take more time to dry your hands using this machine. Make sure your hands are completely dry to prevent the spread of bacteria.