Avoid hand dryers to keep your hands clean: Experiment shows wringing your hands is the best method –

Waving your hands may be the best way to keep them clean, according to a study by a citizen scientist.

To test whether hand towels could return bacteria to hands, Dallin Lewis, 33, held petri dishes for a few seconds under the machinery of a public toilet, gas station, movie theater, and retail store in Provo, Utah.

After three days of incubation, the dishes were filled with bacteria and fungi that appeared as white, yellow, and black dots. The public dryer turned out to be the dirtiest.

But a separate Petri dish that swung in the air in the bathroom prior to hatching remained perfectly clear after washing, to mimic when someone squeezed their hand to remove the water.

Lewis, who runs tests for his TikTok channel near his home in Provo, Utah, said the results were “much worse” than he expected. “I’ve done many similar bacterial growth tests on different surfaces – phones and gas pumps are probably the worst – but the hand dryer was bad!” said.

It comes after a British expert warned yesterday that not drying your hands after using the toilet could be worse than not washing at all. Dr. In fact, David Webber, a microbiologist with 50 years of experience, said that people who don’t wash their hands properly could qualify as a social threat.

PUBLIC BATH: For the experiment, Dallin Lewis, 33, started by examining a hand dryer in a public bathroom in Provo, Utah. Three days after keeping it under the Petri dish, he found several bacterial colonies.

GASOLINE: A petri dish was also held for a few seconds under the dryer at a gas station. It was then incubated and quickly burst with bacteria, as in a public bathroom.

FILM THEATER: The Petri dish was also on the towel in a movie theater. After incubation, it also showed a collection of white spots that appeared along with small colonies of bacteria.

SHOP DRYER: A petri dish was also held for a few seconds under the dryer in a store. After three days of incubation, some white spots also appeared, indicating the presence of bacteria.

AIR DRYING: During the experiment, a Petri dish was also rinsed with air to simulate air hand drying. This produced almost no bacteria after incubation for three days.

Lewis decided to investigate the amount of bacteria emitted from towels after discovering that someone near their home was full of microorganisms.

A visual assessment revealed that the towel in the public restroom ignited many of the bacteria in addition to those at the gas station, and was even the only bacteria to have black colonies.

Petri dishes kept under dryers in a movie theater and retail store caused only a few white spots, much less than others after a few days. But the “air dried” thing was almost clear: the best result.

Speaking to SWNSLewis, who works for personal disinfectant company PhoneSoap, he said he was “incredibly surprised” by the test results. “I knew they would go wrong but by no means did I expect the level I saw,” he said.

No testing has been done to determine what bacteria and fungi are lurking in the dryers, and the researchers have not studied the effects of drying hands with a paper towel.

But previous research has suggested that electric hand dryers can hit bacteria on people’s hands when they suck in the air around them, where microorganisms can linger.

The tests also revealed hidden bacterial colonies on the towel nozzles.

Experts say it’s vital to dry your hands after washing, as many types of bacteria like to breed in hot, humid places.

E. coli – a bacterium that can cause food poisoning – thrives on moist surfaces, including hands. Previous research has suggested that 85% of germs spread by people with soil surfaces appear when their hands are still wet.

But there are many different ways to dry them, including with a paper towel, hand dryer, or waving them in the air.

To smooth the differences, Webber A microbiologist with 50 years of experience, also at University College Swansea in Wales, ranked eighth among the world’s most popular hand drying methods.

At the top comes the ‘surgeon’: run your fingers under a hand dryer in every corner. This ensures that your hands are completely free of moisture and bacteria.

Perhaps it’s obvious that at the other end of the ladder is the so-called “dripping dragon” who doesn’t bother wiping his hands at all.

Dr. “Bacteria thrive on damp surfaces, including on the hands,” said Webber, who works with Airdri, a towel company.

“The outbreak has highlighted proper hand washing with guidelines published by the WHO, CDC and NHS.

Experts say not drying your hands can be as harmful as not washing them at all. Public guidelines on hand drying are needed to help stop the spread of bacteria and viruses, the researchers said. Image: List of eight hand drying methods in order from best (top left) to worst (bottom right)

“However, there are no such guidelines on equally important correct hand drying procedures.”

“Not drying your hands well can be less hygienic than not washing them at all.

“Research showed that bacterial transfer was directly related to the duration and effectiveness of hand drying, with decreasing bacterial transfer as the water was withdrawn.”

Dr. “Bacteria thrive on damp surfaces, including on the hands,” said Webber, who works with Airdri, a towel company.

“The outbreak has highlighted proper hand washing with guidelines published by the WHO, CDC and NHS.

“However, there are no such guidelines on equally important correct hand drying procedures.”

“Not drying your hands well can be less hygienic than not washing them at all.

“Research showed that bacterial transfer was directly related to the duration and effectiveness of hand drying, with decreasing bacterial transfer as the water was withdrawn.”

Likewise, removing the last bit of moisture from your pants or skirt after they’ve dried can absorb bacteria from your clothing, defeating the purpose of hand washing.