paper towel or hand dryer?

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  1. Although hand-dryers are more environmentally friendly than paper towels researchers found that bacteria levels increased when people rubbed their hands together while using them.
    They concluded that paper towels were the most effective means of reducing the risk of infection after washing.

    Bacteria living within the skin is brought to the surface when wet hands are rubbed together under a dryer. The bacteria can then be transferred to other surfaces.

    When hands are washed the number of bacteria on the surface of the skin decreases, but they are not necessarily eliminated. If the hands are still damp then these bacteria are more readily transferred to other surfaces.

    Dr Anna Snelling, of Bradford University, said: ""Good hand hygiene should include drying hands thoroughly and not just washing.

    "The most hygienic method of drying hands is using paper towels or using a hand dryer which doesn't require rubbing your hands together."

    All of the above is from an article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7991492/Rubbing-hands-together-after-washing-them-increases-the-danger-of-contamination-scientists-warn.html)

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