Gross! You Might Want To Think Twice Before Using A Public Hand Dryer Again

Hand dryers in public bathrooms always seemed like a great idea, ‘cause who wants to share a towel with dozens (if not hundreds) of strangers?

But what if we told you that hand dryers aren’t so hygienic after all? A scientist from California carried out an experiment to see *just* how clean they really are… the result? Not very.

Nichole Ward placed a Petri dish inside a public hand dryer for three minutes, then waited a number of days to see if anything would grow. The results are pretty vile. After three days, large lumps of bacteria and fungi had grown inside the dish. #Vom.

“Ok guys.. ready to have your mind blown?!” she wrote on Facebook. “This here, is what grew in a Petri dish after just a few days. I stuck the open plate in an enclosed hand dryer of a public bathroom for a total of three minutes. Yes, three only. DO NOT EVER dry your hands in those things again.

“This is the several strains of possible pathogenic fungi and bacteria that you’re swirling around your hands, and you think you’re walking out with clean hands. You’re welcome.” She also added, “this post is simply for awareness, not to instil fear.”

A lot of public bathrooms don’t have lids on the toilets, so when the loo gets flushed, bacteria is catapulted up through the air and lands, well, anywhere. If it lands in the air vent of a hand dryer, the warm air makes for a lovely environment for bacteria to grow.

The alternative is paper towels… but they’re not exactly environmentally friendly. Hand sanitiser, anyone?