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Here’s a great post on why restroom hand dryers are both unsanitary and, at best, environmentally equal to paper towels.
They are alleged to be more hygienic than hand towels. I don’t buy that for a second, because they “dry” your hands by blasting them with recirculated air from the restroom itself. You didn’t think there was a canister of fresh air hidden behind the wall, did you? And guess what’s probably floating around in the restroom air. That’s right, tiny particles of you-know-what. (I will concede that the hand dryer is nonetheless hygienically preferable to the continuous-roll-of-cloth machine.)
“Tiny particles of you-know-what.” Ew.
As much as I share this guy’s dislike of hand dryers, I understand why they’re popular. If it were my job to clean a bathroom—or if it were my job to pay a guy to clean a one—I’d surely oppose paper towel use, mostly because only half of population (by my estimate) manages to land their wet towels in the waste basket.
And any person of sound mind opposes the roll-of-cloth machine. Regardless of its minimal ecological footprint and/or low maintenance costs, these things ought to be outlawed. It’s one thing to use a cotton towel in a friend’s bathroom. It’s quite another to use one in a public restroom.
Back to hand dryers: I also credit a hand dryer for staving off hypothermia two summers ago. After riding our bikes to the top of
Photo from A Nameless Yeast
Primero, the author fails to recognize the technological advances in the hand dryer over the past decade. granted, i would be following the row of the critic if the dryer in question was a first generation, low-tech dryer that took 10minutes to do the trick (plenty of time for poo particles to make the flight across the tiled room). However, advancements in hand dryers are to say the least impressive even to the non-tech layperson. their jet propulsion, if aimed accurately, could dry niagra falls quicker than a roll of downy paper towels. possibly allowing less time for the circulated poo particles to make their journey . . .
Segundo, do poo particles travel very far? seems like they may cling to the mist that erupts following an industrial style flush, however, i don’t think they remain airborne for long. and one would probably accrue more poo on the journey to the sink than during the hand drying portion of the bathroom break. So my advice “flush & run” preferably closing the stall door as a line of last defense.
Adios. and remember “I know more than you”- karlos roberto rey del mundo
“Flush and run.” Thanks, Dr. Science.