A helping hand dry
Matt Anderson, Director of Velair, discusses hand drying – the unspoken essential for robust washroom hygiene practices.
When it comes to washroom hygiene practices, the act of hand washing has had some exceptionally good PR in recent times – possibly to the detriment of hand drying.
Throughout the growth in our understanding of COVID-19 and its various avenues of infection, handwashing has remained a permanent fixture in public health messaging – and, as we all know, the same government mantra continues to be repeated in many public settings: ‘hands, face, space’, emphasis on ‘hands’.
In fact, one of the more memorable aspects of the early pandemic was the spectacle of Prime Minister Boris Johnson advising the public to wash their hands for the length of time it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice – before going on to demonstrate.
This kind of manoeuvre certainly shone a light on handwashing technique – but, in doing so, the equally important issue of proper hand drying has potentially been a little overshadowed.
In fact, it took until May 2020 – several months into the pandemic – for the UK government to formally approve hand dryers as safe for use during the era of coronavirus, and this relative lack of messaging around hand drying and associated devices needs to change.
“Wet hands are party to the
spread of bacteria to a far greater degree than dry hands.”
Limiting the spread
The goal of handwashing is very straightforward: to prevent the spread of germs. However, the fact remains that no matter how many times one sings ‘Happy Birthday’ while applying soap and water, and no matter the technique involved, wet hands are party to the spread of bacteria to a far greater degree than dry hands.
As such, it’s unsurprising to find that a 2010 study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found thorough hand drying to be an essential element of robust hand hygiene. A similar story can be found in more recent research from Swansea University, which points out not only that hand
(
https://velairehd.wistia.com/medias/ubr4aqjnlu). 66 | WASHROOM HYGIENE
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Pebble+ kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
drying removes moisture from the hands – which, if left to drip dry, can contribute to the spread of germs – but that drying can also reduce microbial loads via friction.
There are two lessons to be learned from this kind of research: that hand drying is an essential hygiene practice, and that we need to discuss how best to go about drying our hands.
The right kind of dryer
This kind of conversation around hand drying is vital to ensure good public health practices are being promoted – in a manner that mirrors the discussions of handwashing techniques which have, as mentioned above, dominated public discourse for the last two years.
Where hand drying differs from washing, however, is that the former involves tools, devices, and equipment – as such, evaluating the most effective method is all the more pressing.
The 2010 study mentioned above is a great example of empirical research that points towards certain types of hand dryers as a good way to dry hands properly.
The researchers found that air jet-based electric dryers – which were relatively new at the time of the study – are particularly efficacious, since their abilities to strop moisture from wet hands reduces the transfer of bacteria.
Of course, since that time there have been a number of further developments in hand dryer hygiene. The brightest and best of today’s models boasting antimicrobial finishes, ion-related sanitation features, and advanced HEPA filtration that limit the spread of airborne microbes. This is all the more vital in a post-COVID world.
To find out more about Velair’s Pebble+, watch the video HERE.
www.velair.co.uk
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