Science & Tech

Disturbing experiment reveals just how unhygienic hand dryers are

Disturbing experiment reveals just how unhygienic hand dryers are
Experiment illustrates how droughts impact surface water run-off
University of Reading

An experiment has revealed just how unhygienic hand dryers are and you’ll never want to use one again.

The clip of the experiment has gone viral on TikTok and shows how the humble hand dryer, found in many public toilets, is harbouring germs that can immediately contaminate newly washed hands.

In the clip, the TikToker explains that he is going to conduct an experiment comparing the difference in the number of germs left when using a hand dryer and allowing your hands to air dry.

They went to multiple locations and held a Petri dish underneath the hand dryer while also waving one around in the air to simulate a person air drying their hands.

The Petri dishes were placed in an incubator for three days to see if any bacteria would grow and the results were truly horrifying.

While the Petri dishes that had simulated air drying didn’t appear to show any bacterial growth, the hand dryer Petri dish could be seen covered with grey, green and white spots where bacteria had grown.

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@itsgoneviral

This is mind blowing🤯 #fypシ #foryou #foryoupage #tiktok #viral #germs

The same was true for every Petri dish that had been placed under a hand dryer and people in the comments were very grossed out.

“OH MY GODDDD,” one TikToker wrote.

Someone else said: “Okay never again.”

Another commented: “No. I feel sick I’m never ever using a hand dryer. Imagine the ones at school.”

One person wrote: “been telling my family for years. maybe now they'll believe me.”

The TikToker in the clip concluded: “Based off of this test, it looks like waving your hands dry is the best option.”

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