A microbiologist has flagged up some grim findings for those who are wary of germs in public restrooms. Tim Call highlighted the astonishing number of germs lurking in public hand dryers, which could be a nightmare scenario for anyone with germaphobic tendencies.
After conducting an experiment sparked by frequent claims of how much bacteria hand dryers can harbour, Tim shared shocking results. "I performed this test because there are many that believe that hand dryers are a terrible way to dry your hands after washing them. I'm not sure if I truly believe that," he said.
Tim carried out his investigation by first placing a petri dish in a public toilet area, capturing five bacterial colonies from the ambient air. For a more focused test, he placed another petri dish under a hand dryer which, after just one activation, revealed eight bacterial colonies.
A further interaction with the dryer brought the count up to 15 colonies. Pushing the envelope, Call allowed ten blasts of air on a fresh plate which culminated in spotting 20 bacterial colonies and the growth of two significant patches of fungus. Despite these unsettling discoveries, Call isn’t completely convinced hand dryers are as problematic as some might assume.
"My experiment showed a simple air test of the bathroom, and a test of air being blown onto a petri dish with varying amounts of air blown. While the experiment shows that there are bacteria in the air and that a small amount will blow onto your hands, I don't believe this is from the hand dryer.
