06 September 2010

Hand drying is the crucial last stage in effective hand washing.  It should be implemented in a way which reduces, rather than increases the risk of cross contamination.  There are various methods of hand drying including paper towel, cloth towel, electric hand dryer and spontaneous evaporation (the good old shake and drip dry).  Here at Forward Scotland we currently use a warm air electric hand dryer in our bathrooms however a request for paper towels by the most recent users of The Hub got us thinking if this was the most appropriate method????

As the request involved changing to paper towels from the warm air electric dryer I will compare the two from a hygienic, economic and environmental point of view.  Conducting a literature review of the subject has not produced an outright winner with many conflicting results and opinions (especially involving the companies which are directly affected by this) being found.  The key findings are summarised below, from which I will leave YOU to decide (leave a comment below) if WE should switch or not.

Hygiene Considerations    

Paper Towels

• Widely recognised as the most hygienic method of hand drying. (Harrison, 2003)  
• Removes a significant proportion of any residual bacteria left on the hands after washing.
• Largely used by hospitals reinforcing the idea that they are hygienically preferable.
• The opening of the towel container (particularly the front) is liable to develop a build up of bacteria from people touching with wet/contaminated hands.  To prevent this, the container would need to be included in routine cleaning.
• The towels have a tendency to become jammed requiring the user to reach into the opening to pull them down resulting in some remaining towels becoming contaminated.
• Used towels contaminated with residual bacteria are required to be disposed of in a bin requiring regular attention.

Warm Air Electric Hand Dryer

• Some suggest the hand dryers dry the hands more effectively, reaching into crevasse that paper towels simply cannot reach however it does take longer to dry hands sufficiently.
• Pleasant to use on a cold day.
• Hot air drying has the potential to increase bacterial contamination on hands. (Monteville, 2002)  
• Bacteria can be re-deposited onto hands if not vented to the outside and filters are saturated with bacteria.
• Wet floor develops underneath the dryer.

Take a look at a recent report ( A comparative study of three hand drying methods (238.69 kB)) currently being referred to by Kimberly Clark which is pretty damming for the warm air dryer suggesting that it increases bacteria on hands after drying by up to 254%.  The credibility of the study has been called into question by many in the industry including Dyson as the report was commissioned by the European Tissue Symposium (ETS), a tissue paper trade association.  If you would rather a short summary then check out this link.

Environmental and Economic Considerations

Paper Towels

• Expensive.  People often use more sheets than they actually need.  Often used for other uses such as, blowing nose or wiping up spillages.
• Requires regular maintenance, topping up dispenser with new towels and emptying the waste paper bin.
• As the replacements are lightweight and bulky, regular deliveries and storage space for a backup supply would be required to ensure a constant supply.
• Double the global warming burden.

Warm Air Electric Hand Dryer

• Less expensive. One off purchase, suitable for repeated use without the need for regular repairs and servicing.
• Recycling potential, can be used as scrap metal. 
• Results in a smaller environmental footprint.  Less CO2 emissions and less ozone depletion.

Take a look at the  ERM Airdri Report (725.99 kB) undertaken by Environmental Resources Management.  The study states that, according to the assumptions made, “with regard to environmental performance, paper towels should not be used in preference to hand air dryers”.  Again the report is commissioned by a company (Airdri, a hand dryer manufacturer) which will directly gain from the findings so it is entirely up to you how credible the source is.

From the information presented above, the warm air hand dryer is cheaper and has less of an impact on the environment however the paper towels are more hygienic.  It appears there is no correct decision about which method is best.  It is just a matter of opinion about what is more important: Cost; Environmental Impact or Hygiene.

Please, feel free to post comments below and suggest whether or not we should install a paper towel dispenser in our bathroom.


Journal Articles Cited

American Journal of Infection Control, Bacterial transfer and cross-contamination potential associated with paper towel dispensing, Harrison et al (2003) Vol 31 Issue 7, pages 387-391.

International Journal of Food Microbiology Issue 73, Risk Assessment of hand washing efficacy using literature and experimental data, Monteville et al (2002) pages 305-313.

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