Damp hands spread bacteria

Hand drying is critical to preventing the spread of bacteria, newly published peer-reviewed research proves. It concludes that the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer, which dries hands completely in 10 seconds with filtered air, is more hygienic than warm air hand dryers and avoids generation of contaminated used paper towel waste.

The study by the University of Bradford and published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, found that using the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer for 10 seconds results in significantly less bacteria being transferred from hands to other surfaces than after using warm air hand dryers for 10 seconds. In fact, rubbing hands together under a warm hand dryer actually increases bacterial numbers at the skin surface. The report concludes the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer, with its short dry time, should encourage more people to dry their hands properly - reducing the spread of infections.

Warm air hand dryers use warm air to evaporate water. This takes too long. Most people give up and wipe damp hands on clothes or leave with wet hands. Damp hands spread up to 1,000 times more bacteria than dry ones .

Today’s report also identifies the practical difficulties of providing and disposing of paper towels - particularly in high usage areas.

The Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer is an energy-efficient and hygienic alternative to warm air hand dryers and paper towels. Using a 400mph sheet of HEPA filtered air, it scrapes water from hands in 10 seconds - ensuring hands dry quickly. As a result, the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer is suitable for hygiene critical locations like hospitals and food preparation areas.