Are Hand Dryers Hygienic?

Which is better, hand dryers or hand towels? There is no discernible, demonstrable and irrefutable difference between both methods. The key for both hand drying methods is to make sure hands are properly washed and properly dried. Many tests are carried out using hands coated in a bacterial soup before they are placed inside or below and hand dryer. This is unrealistic. People who do not wash their hands do not dry them, so bacteria from their hands cannot enter the air stream. Bacteria from unwashed hands can be transferred easily to door handles, but not into the air. What type of hand dryers might be considered 'hygienic' ? A hand dryer that has either HEPA filters (at least HEPA-13 Grade) or a built-in air steriliser unit, or both, are classed as 'Hygienic'. Many dryers have anti-microbial covers, but this would not classify it as a ‘hygienic hand dryer’. HEPA-filtered hand dryers HEPA-filtered hand dryers filter the air before it is used to clean your hands. Whilst there are many differing filters and different grades of HEPA filter, only medical-grade HEPA-13 filters are classed as Hygienic. HEPA Grade 13 filters remove 99.95% of airborne contaminants as small as 0.3microns. This means the air you are drying your hands is cleaner than the air you are breathing. While they will have some effect on the air quality in the washroom, this effect is negligible due to the short running times. Sterilising hand dryers Sterilising hand dryers sterilise the air, destroying pathogens (bacteria and viruses), spores and moulds as they pass through the dryer, including those that are too small to be captured by a HEPA filter. This is done by a UVC Germicidal lamp. The most effective sterilisers also incorporate plasma generators. These have a measurable effect on the air quality within the washroom and do not just clean the air that passes through them - See OXIZONE Air Steriliser Most popular HEPA-Filtered Hand Dryers Dyson Airblade V Pebble Hand Dryer Dyson Airblade dB Warner Howard (PHS) AirStream Mitsubishi Jet Towel Dyson Airblade Tap World Dryer VerdeDri Dyson Airblade 9kJ Most popular Sterilising Hand Dryers Fumagalli SpeedMax 100 UVC AirSteril Sterillo Fumagalli MG88 UVC Aertek UV Blade Gorillo + 2 NEW sterilising hand dryers being launched in mid-2021 - watch this space!