For the Sake of Health, Don’t Forget to Dry Your Hands After Washing It

Hand hygiene is a simple activity that has a big impact on our health. In addition to using soap and running water, drying your hands after washing them is equally important for killing germs on your hands.

Health expert Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe said, it is very important to dry your hands after washing them. Wet hands are easily contaminated with germs.

“The water from the left-hand washing can be infected with bacteria. Touching anything when wet hands can also cause bacterial infections,” said family doctor David Cutler.

It takes 20 to 30 seconds to wash your hands, especially after touching germs.

However, the hands will be really clean if we dry them.

“One of the goals is to ensure that you do not recontaminate hands with bacteria in the process of washing or drying hands,” Okeke-Igbokwe said.

The best way to dry your hands is to use a paper towel, cloth towel or an air dryer instead of letting it dry by itself.

There is also research that says the best way to dry hands is to use a tissue.

According to research from the Mayo Clinic, drying hands with a hand dryer can spread bacteria because blowing air from the machine can spread pathogens back to the hands after washing them.

“Using a hand dryer in a public toilet is the worst way to dry washed hands,” Cutler said.

He added, hand dryers create a risk of bacterial infection through the air or cause injury due to hot temperatures.

Another study from Westminster University found a hand dryer with a powerful burst of air can spread the virus up to 1.5 meters in the room.

“Although some experts are still debating this topic, drying your hands with clean, disposable hand towels is perhaps the safest choice to reduce the risk of spreading germs,” Okeke-Igbokwe said.

Ranekka Dean, Director of Infection Control at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Long Island noted that each study of the method of hand drying has strengths and weaknesses.

However, keeping your hands completely dry is the best choice.

“The decision to use certain drying methods can be determined by several factors, including practicality, personal preference, cost, space, and availability,” he said.

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