When you’re in a public restroom, do you reach for paper towels or the air dryer after you wash your hands? Odds are you have a preference. You might even believe one works better for keeping germs at bay.
But it turns out, the most sanitary method for hand drying is up in the air. A 2000 randomized trial in Mayo Clinic Proceedings reported no differences in bacteria after comparing four different methods: paper towels, cloth towels, hot air dryers, and spontaneous evaporation.
Since then, other studies have suggested a clear winner, but their conclusions often conflict with each other. For example, a 2019 study in Scientific Reports concluded that using jet air dryers is the best method to eliminate bacteria on your hands, though it may disperse bacteria elsewhere. In contrast, a 2015 study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found that rubbing hands thoroughly dry with paper towels produced the best results. Doing this reduced bacteria on hands, transmitted fewer germs in the restroom, and avoided surface contamination better than the warm air dryer and jet dryer.
So, science suggests the method is really up to you—at least for now. But in the meantime, is there anything else you can do to help avoid germs?
Stay still and dry
No matter which method you choose, remember to dry your hands thoroughly. Germs love water. It's their ideal medium for multiplying and getting around. Putting in the time and effort to really dry hands completely will mean fewer germs.
If you feel that paper towels are a waste of resources, go ahead and use the blower. But don't rub your hands. Hold your hands still, palms up, and leave them there until they’re completely dry. It seems the skin-on-skin friction created when we rub our hands under the blower somehow releases more germs that live deep in our pores.
Whatever you do? Don't give up and wipe them on your jeans or shirt sleeves. You'll just re-contaminate your hands.
Sources: Gustafson DR, Vetter EA, et al. Effects ... + 7
- Gustafson DR, Vetter EA, et al. Effects of 4 hand-drying methods for removing bacteria from washed hands: a randomized trial. Mayo Clin Proc. 2000 Jul;75(7):705-8.
- Suen LKP, Lung VYT, et al. Microbiological evaluation of different hand drying methods for removing bacteria from washed hands. Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 24;9(1):13754.
- Best EL, Redway K. Comparison of different hand-drying medthods: the potential for airborne microbe dispersal and contamination. J Hosp Infect. 2015 Mar;89(3):215-7.
- Redway K, Fawdar S. European Tissue Symposium: A comparative study of three different hand drying methods: paper towel, warm air dryer, jet air dryer.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing in Community Settings: When and How to Wash Your Hands. Page last reviewed November 15, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing in Community Settings: Clean Hands Save Lives. Last reviewed November 4, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. How important is it to dry my hands after I wash them? May 15, 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing in Community Settings: Show Me the Science. Page last reviewed August 10, 2021.
