this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

Every few years either the paper towels or the dryer spreads more germs, depends on the mood you know.

Edit: Seems like Big Paper™ sent their goons /s https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(11)00967-9/abstract

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Going to need to see your citations for that assertion, sir.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Cool.

From the conclusion:

This may have implications in some industrial and clinical settings as well as in immunocompromised individuals.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

There are a lot of different dryer designs as well, some of which are much more friendly to breeding bacteria than others.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Bacteria orgy this weekend at Sal's.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Downvoted for lack of source

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

First time I'm seeing a claim that paper towels spread more germs. Got a source to back that up?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It doesn't seem plausible. After wiping your hands dry the bacteria either stayed on your hands or were transferred to the paper towel. I can't see a path to the air.

Blasting your hands with air fast enough to blow off whole water drops and shatter them would put bacteria in the air.

I presume that when testing their air driers they use a sterile room and thoroughly washed hands in hospital type soap so any bacteria went down the drain and only sterile water was blown into the air

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

OP edited their post with a link. It's an entirely different topic, it's about germs on paper towels coming from the factory.