Australians pride ourselves on our hygiene levels and expect high standards in our public facilities. But one appliance designed to maintain better hand cleanliness might do the opposite, according to a British scientist.
In a post that has gone viral, scientist Ruth MacLaren showed why we should stop using hand dryers in public restrooms, and the results are startling.
“Totally blown away by how far this little video has reached,” she captioned her post.
MacLaren shared a video to her TikTok account @devonscience, where she took a petri dish and held it to the air of a hand dryer to capture its air quality.
The intrepid researcher then waved a petri dish around her laboratory to capture the air in that space and make a comparison.
McLaren left both dishes overnight, then returned the next day to show her results.
Alarmingly, the hand-dryer petri dish had spawned multiple types of visible bacteria and one fungus too, she wrote.
However, the petri dish from her lab was free from visible nasties.
@devonscience Urghh, don’t use a hand dryer😱🦠 —– Update: thank you for all your comments & suggestions. Totally blown away by how far this little video has reached 😮 I’m planning on doing some update videos on this experiment and will post on here, as well as on our FB & IG pages, which you are welcome to follow as well 😉 Thank you, Ruth (from Devon Science) #germs #publictoilet #bacteria #dirty #gross #justdont #scienceteacher #handwashchallenge #handdryer #science #scienceexperiments #microbiology #scienceproject #lesson #handdryer #handdryerbacteria ♬ original sound – Devon Science
Over 3000 social media users quickly rushed to comment on her post and share their aversions to using the appliance.
“I feel validation. Thank you,” one commented.
“This is also why we don’t use hand dryers in health settings , soap water and a disposable towel is best,” one fan added.
“I hate the blowers, they’re loud, they’re too hot, I just want paper towels & a recycling bin to put them in.”
“I genuinely wipe my hands on my shirt because I don’t like the noise of a hand dryer.”
Thankfully, most public bathrooms still stock paper towels so you can still go out without the need to bring a whole roll of paper wipes.
However, if you are concerned about bacteria and fungi, one place to start looking is your bedding and pillows.
Over time, pillows accumulate dust mites, dead skin cells, and allergens, creating a breeding ground for respiratory issues like asthma and allergies. The moisture from your breath and sweat can also encourage the growth of mould and bacteria within the pillow, contributing to a range of health problems, from skin irritations to sinus infections.
Fortunately, there are simple ways to remove these stains and keep your pillows fresh and clean.
Domestic service entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Hygea, Lily Li, says there are a number of reasons yellow stains form on pillows, with the biggest culprit being sweat.
“People sweat while they are sleeping even though they don’t realise it. Sweat travels through the pillowcases, into the pillow and starts colouring the pillow,” says Li.
“Lying down with wet hair or makeup can also bring yellow stains to the pillows because chemicals such as hair products, makeup, and other types of skin products can discolourise the pillow. The natural oil from people’s skin can also cause yellow stains on pillows.”
When it comes to keeping your pillows fresh and clean, prevention is better than cure with Li suggesting washing out “hair product, dry your hair, remove makeup or any face cream before you go to bed”.
For a little added protection Li suggests adding “a pillow protector over your pillow before you put it into a pillowcase”.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.