Drying hands in restaurants and clubs - the most common problems

Drying hands may seem like a task that is not very important in terms of safety and hygiene. The most important thing is to wash your hands thoroughly, right? However, it turns out that this is not necessarily the case. Drying them improperly or incorrectly can contribute to recontamination of the skin with dangerous microorganisms. This issue is particularly important in places where we may later touch food or drinks with our hands - in restaurants, clubs, and other food establishments.

How to safely dry your hands in a public restroom?

Safely drying your hands in a public restroom requires remembering a few basic things. First and foremost, it is necessary to be much more cautious than in a home setting. Why? The main reason is, of course, the fact that in a home bathroom, there are primarily bacteria and viruses that are already on our skin. This practically eliminates the risk of infection with new microorganisms that may turn out to be potentially pathogenic (excluding, of course, those that are harmless only when they are in the intestines, without contact with other parts of the body).

A lot of people who are carriers of various bacteria and viruses use public restrooms. Infection usually occurs when different surfaces and equipment are touched in succession by different users.

Safe hand drying, just like washing and disinfecting them, means the need to eliminate touching the same surfaces as other people. In practice - as much as possible - it is necessary to use only touchless devices such as hand dryers or towel dispensers. It is also important to avoid situations where towels are provided by another person.

Thoroughly drying hands is also essential for safety. It is important to avoid situations where we only wipe them on our clothes or use a dryer for only a few seconds.

Hygienic hand drying in a club or restaurant

It is worth mentioning the importance of thorough and hygienic hand drying. Although washing significantly reduces the number of microorganisms on the skin, it does not eliminate them completely. Soap is not a means to sterilize surfaces.

Bacteria that remain on hands, when not thoroughly dried, gain perfect conditions for survival. The moist, warm environment also allows them to multiply intensively, which, combined with touching various surfaces, makes it easier for them to colonize other places and spread to other people. This has been confirmed by studies, which show that one of the places in the bathroom with the highest concentration of bacteria is the wet and relatively warm area around the sink.

It has also been proven that proper hand drying can reduce the number of bacteria transferred from hands to objects, food, and other people's skin by up to 99%. The results of these studies were published at the University of Cambridge in 1997 and in the British Journal of Anesthesia in 2001.

This means that people who do not thoroughly dry their hands or completely skip this step are making a big mistake in terms of safety and hygiene. Moist hands not only facilitate the transfer of bacteria from the skin to objects, but also vice versa. Just imagine a situation where you touch a wet doorknob after using the bathroom, and then proceed to eat snacks or dishes traditionally eaten with hands, such as sushi or pizza.

Hand dryer or paper towel in a restaurant?

One of the most common dilemmas and topics of discussion is which of the available solutions on the market is the most hygienic: touchless hand dryer or paper towel dispenser?

In the case of disposable towels, a big advantage is not only the possibility of quickly and thoroughly drying the skin, but also the additional mechanical removal of any remaining dirt and bacteria. Their supporters also point out the versatility of such a solution - they can be used to remove some stains, which are a common problem that guests of gastronomic establishments struggle with.

However, in order for it to be a truly hygienic option, several conditions must be met. First of all, paper towel dispensers must be really tight to ensure that microorganisms do not get inside. It is also necessary to take care of their cleanliness - not only on the outside, but also on the inside, where they are touched by employees who refill them.

Using towel dispensers also means a higher risk of creating a mess - scattered, wet, and dirty towel fragments not only look unsightly, but can also be an additional breeding ground for bacteria. This means that staff must check their condition and cleanliness in the bathroom much more frequently.

For paper dispensers to be truly hygienic, they should be completely touchless. These types of devices have special mechanisms that dispense the right amount of paper while also protecting against uncontrolled pulling of excess paper. These types of dispensers promote cleanliness and also reduce waste production.

Automatic hand dryers equipped with motion sensors do not generate waste. However, their disadvantage is the noise, which may discourage some people from using these devices. Additionally, the sound of the dryer can be heard in the restaurant, disrupting the atmosphere.

This can be prevented by installing one of the modern models of dryers that operate relatively quietly. Currently, there are models available on the market that generate sounds at a similar level to regular conversation. Not only does this mean that using them is more comfortable, but it also does not disturb other guests.

Opponents of hand dryers point out that the strong stream of warm air blows bacteria off the hands, which then spread to nearby surfaces. The solution to this problem can be modern pocket hand dryers, in which the air is not immediately blown outside, but first passes through HEPA filters. They are also completely touchless, ensuring truly hygienic drying and simultaneous air purification.

However, the advantages of hand dryers do not mean that hand towel dispensers have no place in a restaurant or club bathroom. On the contrary - it is worth providing guests with a choice, as well as additional protection in case of the need to remove a stain or other emergency situation.

Hand drying in times of pandemic. How to do it safely?

There are various methods of hand drying. Some have a reputation for being more hygienic than others. Without specialized research, it is difficult to determine whether it is better to use a hand dryer or paper towels. However, you can follow a few rules to make the whole procedure as safe as possible in a given situation.

It should be emphasized that the care for safe drying of hands begins already upon entering the bathroom. Avoiding touching door handles, faucets or other equipment with bare hands can be helpful in limiting the amount of microorganisms that will be on the skin, which will then need to be washed off. For this purpose, disposable gloves can be used, although a much more environmentally friendly solution is to wrap fingers or hands with sanitary tissues or a piece of toilet paper.

Of course, hygienic drying is not possible without strict adherence to hand washing and disinfection rules. The appropriate washing time and thorough distribution of soap are essential. It is also important to remember to use warm water, which rinses bacteria much more thoroughly and also facilitates the distribution of soap.

If we have two methods of drying hands to choose from, it is worth choosing one that does not require touching any equipment. For example, touchless wall-mounted dryers will always be a better choice than a towel dispenser with a design that may require touching the entire roll or a button.

However, this is not always possible. In such situations, the use of a disinfectant, recommended in public spaces, becomes an absolute necessity. In this case, it is also important to pay attention to whether the dispenser provided is touchless. Otherwise, it is better to use your own liquid or gel, which is worth having on hand in a pocket-sized container.

Hand washing and disinfection is a topic that has drawn the attention of the public on an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was only then that it became clear how difficult it can be to maintain hygiene in public places. It turned out to be a problem even in places where it is particularly important. Being in a restaurant, bar, club, or café involves consuming meals. The inability to maintain the highest level of cleanliness can be the cause of many dangerous diseases - not only those transmitted between individuals, but also those caused by the transfer of one's own bacteria to places where they should not be. Proper hand washing and hygienic drying can effectively prevent this, making visits to such establishments much safer and more enjoyable.