Does anyone else get bugged by the idea of using electric hand driers in public loos?!

[Notquitegrownup]

I just hate the idea that so many people expect to switch on electric blowers to dry their hands. I usually use a clean handky in my pocket (you always used to have to take in clean handies in the olden days, in case there weren't any towels) (or swipe my hands on my T shirt/jeans )

I find myself glowering at other hand-blower users, and my kids now whisper things like "Look at that lady, drying her hands with a machine! And besides, it takes so long and never seems to work properly anyway!

Anyone else share my obsession?! It's just such a waste of energy!

[Geepers]

What a ridiculous thing to get cross about.

Of course I am going to dry my hands using a machine if there are no paper towels in there.

Who in their right mind wants to wipe soaking wet hands all over their clothes?

[RedHead81]

LOL in recognition of t-shirt/jeans wipe!
I suppose its because its there that they use it - if it wasn't they'd use handfulls of paper (no idea what is worse - suppose its worse to use electric constantly and the environmental cost of actually making the dryer in the first place etc... better to use recycled paper or like you a hankie)

[Mimsy2000]

yawn.........what else are we supposed to do? walk around with wet hands? surely there are more important things to get worked up about.

[NomDePlume]

Perhaps people just shouldn't bother washing their hands. Save on water and also reduce the amount of detergent residue going into the water system.

[Spidermama]

It never occured to me but you have a point.

[WigWamBam]

Erm ... isn't that what the electric blowers are there for? To dry our hands on? Why would I use my clean, pressed T-shirt, which I then have to walk around in with big wet patches all over it, when I could use the hand dryer?

[Notquitegrownup]

Thank you Spidermama!

I don't walk around with big wet patches. I just use a clean handkie.

But sorry, should have explained the link. I was just reading on MN about the sterling efforts poeple are making, trying not to use tumble driers these days for environmental reasons. Our climate is going up the creek and then thousands of people every day use electricity to dry their hands! We just expect machines to be there and do everything for us, and expect free electricity to dry our hands!

As you say, it isn't a major thing to worry about, and they only blow for a minute or two, but then you multiply that by the number of blowers on the go all over the country, and I reckon it's not far behind not overfilling your kettle, or remembering to switch your lights off as a way of helping.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I got told by a public health microbiologist person that hand dryers are awful as far as germs are concerned. He said if yo uwash your hands and then use a hand dryer you end up with more germs than if you hadn't bothered washing your hands. Very unhygenic. All that warm air gets the bugs to breed like mad. Thats why in hospitals there are only paper towels. So I never use handdryers, will wipe hands on my jeans if no paper towels.

[MrsTittleMouse]

Actually, someone in my family did an engineering degree with an environmental component. And one of the tasks in the course was to assess the environmental friendliness of electric driers versus paper towels. Even if the paper towels are made from recycled paper, there isn't much difference. Which surprised me, to be honest, but there are a lot of factors to be considered, like getting the towels to the loos in the first place and the waste (or trips to the recycling depot).

[Sidge]

I don't use electric hand driers. They are a breeding ground for bacteria and blow out more bacteria than you washed off your hands in the first place! I'd rather use paper towels (or loo roll if no paper towels).

[Notquitegrownup]

Interesting stuff! I love MN!

Yeah, I had that feeling about the recycled towels MrsTM - hence the handkie or tshirt!

Now next time I see another person do that, I shall wonder if it's you, on a day out from Wales! (Is that your bump on your profile pic? What a fantastic bump!)

[RedHead81]

i think even if you wash and dry your hands in whatever way you do, you still get germs on them by the dirty feckers that dont wash their hands and leave thier filth on door handles! now thats what i generally get worked up about.

sidge i never even thought about bacteria in the machine before - yuck!

[RedHead81]

Notquitegrownup - yes that is DS2 in that there bump! he's 4mths now!

[Fimbo]

Carry a little bottle of handgel stuff.

[Fimbo]

I was in Ikea yesterday and was amazed at the amount of people who just came out of the cubicle and left without even washing their hands {yuk}

[ellideb]

Sidge, tha's what I do, but I often wonder, just how hygienic is it to use loo roll to dry your hands?

[Notquitegrownup]

Ewwww, no definitely don't ever do that!

[ellideb]

But why not though?

[MadameCastafiore]

I always have antibacterial alcohol stuff they use in hospitals on me (M&S do a handy sized one) and get the DCs to use it once we have left the toilets as I don't want them getting germs from touching the handle that horrid dirty people touch after not washing their hands!

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

I always just shake my hands dry. For the DC I tend to carry a few muslins anyway so use those.

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

I like the dry gel stuff too, but only in the park etc, it can't beat good soap and water.

[nowirehangers]

I've always wondered which was more eco-friendly - driers or paper towels. Hats off to anyone so organised as to bring their own hanky!
Ime the whole debate is pretty irrelevant because whenever I am in a public toilet - often at a service station, the handdryers are usually broken, paper towels have run out and unfortunately I do end up having to wipe my damp hands on my jeans

[RedHead81]

Can you think of the look i would get if i saw another person wiping their hands on their jeans and i asked them...

"are you Notquitegrownup?"

Think I would have a black eye or two! lol

[noonki]

I am so with you!!!

They never work, are a complete waste of electricity, I either use a muslin, or trousers

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on the subject, from my office we can see the mens sinks for their toilet and the amount that don't wash at all is blleuughh