There’s no denying that automatic hand dryers are a convenient addition to any commercial or public restroom. They are quick to use, minimising queues during busy times, and they require very little maintenance.

However, many people are still concerned about whether an auto hand dryer is a hygienic option.

Automatic hand dryer versus bacteria

You may have heard claims that automatic hand dryers blow bacteria from the environment onto your hands. It’s difficult to find hard facts that either prove or disprove this theory for many reasons.

Studies showing that hand dryers are unhygienic are often been funded by paper towel companies, and studies that claim the opposite have been financially backed by companies like Dyson. It’s therefore hard to know what to trust. Clinical studies can also be misleading in the way that they perform experiments compared to how people behave in the real world.

The biggest factor in how hygienic your hands are after you’ve washed them is how good a job you actually did of washing them in the first place. How long you spend washing them, whether or not you use soap, and if you dry them fully before touching anything are just some of the things that can determine the cleanliness of your hands.

Automatic hand dryer versus push-button dryer

One of the biggest hygiene benefits of automatic hand dryers is their touch-free usability. This hygienic hand dryer option completely eliminates the need to touch the unit, so people can avoid picking up any germs or bacteria once their hands are clean.

Where a hand dryer requires a button to be pressed to activate the hot air, this introduces an additional opportunity for contamination once your hands are clean.

To further improve hygiene, infrared hand dryer models are available, which kill bacteria as they dry. This is a great option for use in cases where hygiene is of the utmost importance, such as in healthcare or facilities or areas of food preparation.

Automatic hand dryer versus paper towels

Hand dryers can be used without any physical contact, whereas the use of paper towels often requires a person to touch a dispenser or a bin, which may introduce bacteria to their clean hands.

Used paper towels are also frequently discarded on the floor instead of in the bin. This both looks unsightly and means that someone else has to touch them to clean up, and damp, scrunched up towels are a great breeding ground for germs.

Looking for a hygienic hand dryer?

The full Tekflo® automatic hand dryer range offers hygienic no-touch automatic operation, providing a great selection to suit any business.

Visit our hand dryer product pages for more information about the different options available, or contact us if you have any questions.

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