Bathroom sanitation
An interesting question from the
Wall Street Journal:
Burning Question: Air Blowers or Paper Towels?
Go to any sports stadium and watch people washing their hands in the bathroom, and you'll likely switch to paper, notes Dr. Thompson. "The trouble with blowers is that they take so long," he says. "Most people dry their hands for a bit, then wipe them on their dirty jeans, or open the door with their still-wet hands." Maybe they even decide not to wash altogether to save time.
Meanwhile, time-consuming, loud "blowers turn people off," he says. "But there is no downside to the paper towel, psychologically."
Even environmental concerns, Dr. Thompson says, are eradicated by the paper towel. "The electric blower uses more energy than making a paper towel," he says.
A bit more:
The Dry Facts
In June, the Mayo Clinic published a comprehensive study of every known hand-washing study done since 1970. The authors concluded that drying skin is essential to staving off bacteria, and that paper towels are superior to driers: They're more efficient, they don't spatter germs, they won't dry out hands and most people prefer them. Dr. Thompson's study was one of the dozen samples reviewed, and he concurs with the recent findings.
Always preferred paper towels -- now I know why...
Posted by DaveH at December 5, 2012 2:53 PM