Survival Update

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Contactless Hot Hand Dryers Spread More Fecal Bacteria Than Towels!

Think that you are doing the right thing and not coming into contact with germs when you use those super-powerful, hot Dyson blade contactless hand dryers in a public bathroom? Think again!

An infectious disease specialist says that those and similar contactless hand driers actually accumulate and spread more “fecal matter” than ordinary hand towels! 

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those hand dryers in public restrooms are extremely disgusting,” said an MD candidate that goes by the handle, TikToker @madmedicine. “There have been actual studies done on those hand dryers to see if they spread bacteria. Spoiler alert: They tend to spread more bacteria compared to just towels.”

The poster, who prides himself on “sharing dope medical information,” recently shared a video about how those super convenient, contactless hand dryers actually don’t stop the spread of bacteria. They make it worse.

The medical student said he was reacting to a popular TikTok trend where people use the Dyson blade hand dryers to curl their hair.

He’s absolutely right. According to the Harvard Health blog, a 2018 study by the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University found that exposure to hot hand dryers exponentially grew bacteria colonies within a matter of seconds.

“Every time a lidless toilet is flushed, it aerosolizes a fine mist of microbes. This fecal cloud may disperse over an area as large as 6 square meters (65 square feet),” Harvard Health stated.

This means that each time someone flushes a public toilet, particles of fecal bacteria spread through the air of the restroom. When the bacteria comes in contact with a hot hand dryer, it multiplies. 

According to @madmedicine and Harvard Health, the best way to dry your hands and prevent bacteria from surviving on them is to use ordinary paper towels.