Hand dryers have a dirty little secret – machines suck bacteria out of the air and spray them onto freshly washed hands.
The invisible microbes were discovered by TikTok user @the_lab_life1, who took samples of dehumidifiers at the mall and cinema and worked on individual petri dishes.
After examining the samples, all three organisms were found to contain viscous vesicles, except for the air-dried plate. The reason is not because cars are full of bacteria, but because hand dryers push bacterial sprays from the bathroom onto your hands.
Although the lab scientist did not reveal which bacteria was caught, previous research has shown that E. coli, hepatitis B and fecal bacteria lurk in public toilets.
The clip received over two million likes and over 12,000 comments from users who were horrified by the results.
The scientist did not reveal exactly which bacteria she found, but previous studies have shown that influenza, streptococcus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and salmonella live in public toilets.
A 2015 study looked at germs found in public restrooms and found genetic traces of more than 77,000 different types of bacteria and viruses in those rooms.
And when you use a powerful hand dryer, those bacteria are blasted off surfaces and sprayed onto your hands.
Given the ability of hand dryers to transmit germs, scientists believe they can spread C. difficile, causing watery diarrhea that can lead to severe dehydration.
Experts urge people to dry their hands with paper towels.
A 2015 study by the University of Westminster found that jet dehumidifiers cause the most germs in the air – and they were originally designed to be more hygienic.
Thus, cross-contamination in public toilets is a legitimate public health issue.
Source: Daily Mail
