We are all aware of the benefits of hand washing, but have you ever stopped to consider the importance of drying your hands properly? Good hand hygiene is essential in infection control and drying your hands is a key part of the process.

It is a well documented fact that wet, or moist, hands provide germs with a place to breed and the spread of bacteria is more likely to occur on wet rather than dry hands. Careful hand hygiene is essential in the prevention of the transfer of germs and bacterias.

What germs could be present on your hands?

Hand Hygiene Importance

Hand Drying Options

Paper Towels

Paper towels remain the most effective way of drying hands, but are not always the most environmentally friendly. This will depend on the materials used in the towels and how they are disposed of.

Roller Hand Towels

Roller hand towels provide no mess or wastage and are made from 100% cotton. An environmentally friendly solution to hand drying. Many people assume these rotate round and round, so that eventually you re-use the same piece of towel again. This isn’t the case, as each pull on the towel provides a clean area, while the used area is wrapped in the back of the machine.

Hand Dryers

The primary benefit of using hand dryers, is that there is no regular re-filling needed. Most hand dryers are maintenance free, although a few collect water that will need emptying and occasionally, a filter may need to be changed.

Cloth or paper towels remain the most effective way of drying your hands, although dryers are more commonly used in communal toilet facilities. There are many different models of hand dryer available, some have warm air drying, some cold and some are jet air dryers. There are also energy efficient and environmentally friendly options. A low energy hand dryer could cost as little as 1p per 92 uses!

Many establishments have to consider their hand drying solutions and Flush Hygiene are capable to suit the needs of all washroom facilities which cater for multiple users.