It has been known for centuries that washing the hands is important for infection control and hygiene. Even if you lightly rinse and dry your hands, that is still better than nothing is. With proper hand washing and drying, substantial reductions in infectious disease have been documented. Settings, such as hospitals, restaurants and schools, are most affected by bacterial safeguards, such as hand hygiene.
Water is a Key Element in the Transmission of Bacteria
One research study showed that washing hands, even with water alone, and using a paper towel or dryer, will effectively remove germs from the hand. Another study examined the link of residual water left on the hands and the translocation levels of bacteria. Bacterial transmission, as a result of the study, demonstrated that wet hands transmitted germs much easier than dry hands. The use of automatic hand dryers then is an important component in fending of the bacterial that causes disease. Researchers confirmed that water that was left on the hands was a key element in the amount of contact-or-touch-related contamination.
While a number of studies have focused on the washing of hands, the role of hand drying in infection control has not been as pronounced. In fact, the relevance of using paper towels or automatic hand dryers seems to have been overlooked. A lack of attention in this area might be the reason why some health care professionals do not pay as much attention as they should to hand hygiene.
Looking at Various Hand-drying Methods
As a result, some researchers have placed an emphasis on investigating various hand-drying methods. Empirical research was performed that showed quantitative outcomes. The research revealed that paper towels, hand dryers and cloth towels are generally used for drying washed hands. Hands can also dry naturally, or by evaporative means. The air dryers used to dry hands are generally operated with electricity and may be operated either with a push-button or automatically. Automatic dryers are operated with an infrared sensor.
Jet Air Dryers
Dryers have advanced in design with some dryers now represented by a jet air dryer system – a drying device that uses ambient air or unheated air to dry the hands. The electronic features HEPA air filter to reduce bacterial contamination. This kind of dryer not only dries the hands efficiently with clean air, it also effectively prevents issues with cross-contamination.
While any residual water, according to research, is removed more efficiently using a cloth towel, the jet dryer, using the HEPA filter, removed bacteria better. It takes about 14 seconds to get rid of water with an air dryer. Men take less time drying their hands than women. Therefore, air dryers were more effective when used by females versus males. While it takes only 5 seconds to dry your hands with a cloth towel, the jet dryer with HEPA filter reduces germ-contact issues when used to a greater extent.
