Hand-Drying Hygiene

When was the last time you saw one of these in a public lavatory?...


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Aside from being unhygienic, the continuous cloth towel roll frequently jammed.

So how should we dry our hands? Paper towels? Warm air hand dryers?



Studies have found that "hand dryers harbour bacteria and can blast germs into the atmosphere and promote infection."

Another study suggests that "paper towels are more efficient because they dry hands quicker and prevent transfer of germs."

Yet another study concludes that "paper towels and warm air hand dryers have the highest environmental toll."

Then there's the Dyson Airblade. Here we see Sir James Dyson of vacuum cleaner fame who states that "the Dyson Airblade hand dryers dry hands quickly and that the digital motor self-adjusts 6,000 times a second to maintain optimum efficiency."

I'm seeing more and more of these in public toilets. The hand dryer, that is...NOT Sir James.

Dyson's come up with another hand-drying innovation...the Dyson Airblade Tap Hand Dryer (click illustration to enlarge)...

The Dyson Airblade Tap Hand Dryer combines a faucet and a hand dryer, letting users dry their hands at the sink, rather than hiking over to a hand dryer and letting water drip all over the floor. Dyson thinks it ultimately "ought to be in everybody's house" as it's more hygienic than using and re-using hand towels. But with a price tag of £999, we won't be seeing one soon in the Infomaniac salle de bain. If you want to see how it works, click here for a video clip.

So how do you dry your hands in a public toilet facility?