A Comparison of the Cleaning Efficiency of Three Common Hand Drying Methods

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the cleaning efficiency of three common hand drying techniques: linen towels, paper towels, and air drying. A tracer bacterium (Serratia marcescens) was inoculated onto the hands of volunteers, and bacterial removal from the hands after washing and drying was analyzed. Only 10 percent of tracer bacteria were removed from the hands by either paper or linen towels. The substantial numbers of tracer bacteria remaining on the hands following washing and drying by either paper or linen towels indicate the importance of future studies involving the use of detergents, soaps, and antibacterials to remove transient bacteria from soiled hands. Air drying appeared to be the least effective method of removing bacteria from the hands, and also resulted in a substantial number of airborne bacteria in the vicinity of the user. The other two methods produced negligible contamination of the surrounding environment. In addition, the study showed a residual gram-positive bacterial population on the linen towels, which was eliminated through changed cleaning methods. Hanna, P.J.; Richardson, B.J.; Marshall, M.: A Comparison of the Cleaning Efficiency of Three Common Hand Drying Methods. Appl. Occup. Environ. Hyg. 11(1):37–43; 1996.