DISCOVERY ROADMAP

EXPLOREHAND DRYING

15+ YEARS OF RESEARCH EVOLUTION
Over the past 15+ years numerous research studies have been undertaken into the merits of different hand drying methods and their implications for hygiene and cleanliness in the washroom and beyond.

The Hand Drying Discovery Roadmap now gathers key studies in one central place for visitors to the site to access and explore.

The Roadmap centres around a timeline created by Professor Mark Wilcox OBE of Leeds Teaching Hospitals and University of Leeds, UK, who has led a number of the studies. It charts the evolution of scientific research into hand drying from 2008 to the present day and offers a unique insight into the advancement of understanding over the past 15+ years.
READ ON TO DISCOVER MORE

HOW DO HAND DRYING METHODS
COMPARE IN TERMS OF
WATER/MICROBE REMOVAL?

2008
Year 2008
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THREE DIFFERENT HAND DRYING METHODS: PAPER TOWEL, WARM AIR DRYER, JET AIR DRYER Redway K & Fawdar S. University of Westminster, UK
Part B of the study shows that both types of paper towel tested reduced the mean numbers of all types of bacteria tested on the fingerpads and the palms of subjects. As shown by other studies, the warm air dryer increased the mean numbers of all types of bacteria tested on the fingerpads and the palms of subjects. The jet air dryer also increased the mean numbers of most types of bacteria tested on the fingerpads and the palms of subjects but the increases were less than with the warm air dryer.
2011
Year 2011
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE HYGIENIC EFFICACY OF AN ULTRA-RAPID HAND DRYER VS CONVENTIONAL WARM AIR HAND DRYERS A.M. Snelling, T. Saville, D Stevens, CB Beggs. University of Bradford, UK
In part of the study, the use of paper towels consistently outperformed all the other drying techniques, especially with regard to bacteria left on the palms and fingertips. This suggests that bacteria re-populating the surface of the skin during the rubbing process were being physically removed by the paper towels along with the moisture (Blackmore 1989; Redway 1994; Taylor et al. 2000). In so doing, paper towels appear to remove bacteria in a way in which conventional warm air dryers are incapable of replicating. However, it should be noted that towels can become highly contaminated (Taylor et al. 2000), something which in itself could pose a hygiene hazard.

HOW DO HAND DRYING METHODS
COMPARE IN TERMS OF
MICROBE DISPERSAL RISK?

2012
Year 2012
THE MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF THREE TYPES OF DRIER DEVICES IN THE WASHROOMS Eurofins-Inlab. Ruhr region, Germany
Found total microbe counts were significantly higher - both on the surfaces of jet air dryers and the floors beneath them - in comparison with paper hand towel dispensers. The aerobic bacteria found on jet air dryers were 1000 times more than those found on paper towels dispensers. There was also a significant difference between the counts of staphylococci for the jet air dryers and the paper hand towel dispenser. The level of contamination on jet air dryers was aprox. 800 times higher than on paper towel dispensers.
2014
Year 2014
COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT HANDDRYING METHODS: THE POTENTIAL FOR AIRBORNE MICROBE DISPERSAL AND CONTAMINATION K Redway, E.L. Best. University of Westminster, UK
Found that the jet air dryer dispersed liquid from users’ hands further and over a greater range (up to 1.5m) than the other drying methods (up to 0.75 m), demonstrating the differing potential risks for airborne microbe dissemination, particularly if handwashing is suboptimal.
2014
Year 2014
MICROBIOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF HAND DRYING METHODS: THE POTENTIAL FOR THE CONTAMINATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, USER AND BYSTANDER E.L Best, P. Parnell, M.H. Wilcox. Microbiology Department, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Found that air bacterial counts in close proximity to hand drying were 4.5-fold higher for the jet air dryer (70.7 cfu) compared with the warm air dryer (15.7 cfu) (P = 0.001), and 27-fold higher compared with use of paper towels (2.6 cfu) (P < 0.001). Airborne counts were also significantly different during use of towel drying versus warm air dryer (P = 0.001). A similar pattern was seen for bacterial counts at 1 m away. Visualization experiments demonstrated that the jet air dryer caused the most droplet dispersal.
2015
Year 2015
EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR VIRUS DISPERSAL DURING HAND DRYING: A COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS K Redway, P.T. Kimmit. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, UK.
Found that use of the jet air dryer led to significantly greater and further dispersal of MS2 bacteriophage from artificially contaminated hands when compared to the warm air dryer and paper towels.

HOW DO HAND DRYING METHODS
COMPARE IN TERMS OF
PATHOGEN DISPERSAL RISK?

2018
Year 2018
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION BY BACTERIA IN HOSPITAL WASHROOMS ACCORDING TO HAND-DRYING METHOD: A MULTI-CENTRE STUDY E. Best, P. Parnell, J. Couturier, F Barbut, A. Le Bozec, L. Arnoldo, A. Madia, S. Brusaferro, M.H. Wilcox. Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, UK. CHU Saint Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France. Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy. Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, UK; University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Found that bacterial contamination was lower in paper towel versus jet air dryer washrooms. Total bacterial recovery was significantly greater from jet air dryer versus paper towel dispenser surfaces at all sites (median: 100-300 vs 0-10 cfu; all P < 0.0001). In the UK and France, significantly more bacteria were recovered from jet air dryer washroom floors (median: 24 vs 191 cfu, P < 0.00001). UK meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus recovery was three times more frequent and sixfold higher for jet air dryer vs paper towel surfaces (both P < 0.0001). UK meticillin-resistant S. aureus recovery was three times more frequent (21 vs 7 cfu) from jet air dryer versus paper towel surfaces or floors. Significantly more enterococci and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria were recovered from UK jet air dryer versus PT washroom floors (P < 0.0001). In France, ESBL-producing bacteria were recovered from dust twice as often during jet air dryer versus paper towel use.

Multiple examples of significant differences in surface bacterial contamination, including by faecal and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, were observed, with higher levels in jet air dryer versus paper towel washrooms. Hand-drying method affects the risk of (airborne) dissemination of bacteria in real-world settings.

DOES MICROBE DISPERSAL RISK EXTEND
BEYOND THE WASHROOM?

2020
Year 2020
FROM THE HOSPITAL TOILET TO THE WARD: A PILOT STUDY ON MICROBE DISPERSAL TO MULTIPLE HOSPITAL SURFACES FOLLOWING HAND DRYING USING A JET AIR DRYER VERSUS PAPER TOWELS Ines B Moura, Duncan Ewin, M.H. Wilcox. Microbiology Department, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Found that the use of paper towels resulted in lower rates of virus contamination on hands and clothing compared with a jet air dryer. Consequently, significantly lower levels of virus contamination of multiple hospital surfaces outside of the washroom were found after hands were dried with paper towels rather than a jet air drier.

CAN DISPERSED MICROBES
FEASIBLY BE INHALED?

2022
Year 2022
ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL FOR VIRAL CONTAMINATION OF USERS AND ENVIRONMENT VIA AEROSOLS GENERATED DURING HAND DRYING: A PILOT STUDY Ines B Moura, Karen Bentley, Mark H Wilcox. Microbiology Department, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Found that virus contamination dispersed further and for a longer period (up to 15 min post hand-drying) when using a jet air dryer. The method chosen for hand drying can potentially impact the airborne dissemination of microbial pathogens, including respiratory virus and so potentially increase the risk of exposure and infection for other washroom users.
Hand hygiene plays a crucial role in overall hygiene. Hand drying, following proper hand washing, is an essential element of the two-stage hand hygiene process and is vital in preventing the spread of infection and upholding public health.
The Hand Drying Discovery Roadmap explores the relative effectiveness of different hand drying options in preventing the spread of microbes and bacteria. Each study probes a different facet of the hand drying process and different hand drying options and offers scientific insights into the link between hand drying method and broader hygiene.
The roadmap makes essential reading for all those responsible for upholding washroom hygiene and protecting public health – from procurement managers in hospitals and public buildings through to landlords, restaurateurs, and hoteliers.
THE SMART CHOICE STARTS HERE
NEWSLETTER
SIGN UP Stay kept up-to-date
on all the latest developments.
Required field.
Required field.
Please enter a correct e-mail address.