Research Suggests Hand Dryers In Public Bathrooms Spread Spore-Forming Bacteria

This isn’t political, but we need to talk about it, because I’m horrified and will never be able to look at a hand dryer the same way ever again.

If you’re anything like me, you hate public bathrooms. I hate everything about them. I hate how they compromise the integrity of the bottom of my shoes (especially if they’re new. It just taints them, OK?). I hate touching the door handle. I hate the random wet spots on the floor– you know, the wet spots that are either 1.) Water or 2.) Human fluid. I hate touching soap dispensers, and I hate the faucets that require you to push the button down WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY washing your hands. It’s a nearly impossible task. I also hate the paper towel dispensers that require you to pull the lever down to get the paper towels. Ew. Annoying. Needless to say, I’m the person who tries to open the public bathroom door with my foot. I’ll do a full mid-air split. I don’t care. GERMS.

This is why I always carry around Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer.

I used to think that the hand dryers in public bathrooms were somewhat convenient. They eliminate a step. I don’t have to touch a nasty germ-infested paper towel lever. Well, as it turns out, those things may be WORSE.

Hot-air hand dryers in public bathrooms ‘suck in’ bacteria from flushing toilets, new research suggests.

Previous studies show such dryers can disperse germs from people’s hands on to surrounding surfaces, however, the new findings imply less powerful versions actually bathe hands in bacteria circulating in bathrooms.

We are very likely BATHING OUR HANDS IN BACTERIA. How did I not know this?!

When petri dishes containing ‘bacteria food’ are kept in bathrooms without hand dryers, just six pathogen colonies grow within 18 hours compared to up to 254 after being blasted with such air for just 30 seconds, a study found.

BRB. Legit gagging.

These bacteria can include Staphylococcus aureus, which is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and can cause life-threatening sepsis, pneumonia or toxic shock syndrome.

Due to hand dryers’ abilities to transmit spores, they could potentially spread Clostridium difficile, according to the scientists, which causes watery diarrhoea that can lead to severe dehydration.

In other words, hand dryers are spreading spore-forming bacteria like crazy. And to think. This whole time, I thought they were more sanitary. I’ve been living a LIE.

Sorry for ruining hand dryers for you forever, but you needed to know. Go buy some hand sanitizer. I highly recommend Bath & Body Works’ warm vanilla sugar. It smells like happiness.

h/t Daily Mail