As we discussed in a previous article, there’s a ‘right’ way to dry your hands – and there are plenty of wrong ways too. Use the wrong method, and you risk holding hands with millions of bacteria.
What we didn’t tell you about were the different types of hand dryer and how to use them.
So, to help you keep germs at bay and avoid spreading them beyond the bathroom, here’s our whistlestop ‘hand dryer how-to’ guide.
Approach it head-on: it may not sound important, but facing typical hands under dryers and high speed hand dryers directly is the easiest and quickest way to activate them. Many hands-under models have just one motion-sensor positioned in front of the air nozzle – so if the dryer doesn’t start, you could be standing in the wrong spot.
Palms up, palms down: this type of dryer fires air in a downward direction, so turning your hands over a few times during the drying process will help chase away those last pesky drops of water before you leave the bathroom.
Don’t rub your hands together: although rubbing your hands together under the dryer may feel like a way of speeding up the process, this actually increases the spread of bacteria – so keep them apart.
Be confident: hands-in dryers like the Gorillo Pro are a relatively new invention – some people feel uneasy about this hand dryer; how to use it and how well it will dry their skin. The fact is, hands-in dryers are some of the most user-friendly and effective models on the market – they may not feel intuitive at first, but don’t be put off.
Up and down, side-to-side: this type of hand dryer fires jets of air from both directions, so you won’t have to turn your hands over while you dry them. They usually have more than one motion-sensor, so moving your hands up and down or side-to-side within the dryer won’t deactivate it.
Look down: positioned just below waist-height, it helps to look down and watch your hands as they’re being dried. Many hands-in models have lights and countdown timers which let you know when it’s safe to withdraw your hands and leave the bathroom.
Don’t stand too far away: the air jets on a V-blade like the Vulcan look like they point outwards, so people often worry that water will blow back onto them – in fact, the exact opposite is true. The two blades are designed to blow air and water droplets out to the side of the dryer, so by standing close to it, you’ll avoid getting wet.
Angle your hands: as you dry your hands, tilt them to mimic the V-shape created by the two air-blades. That way, you’ll expose their entire surface area to the flow of air, meaning they’ll dry much faster.
Turn your hands over: just like hands-under dryers, V-blade models only blow air in a single direction. Position your hands palm-side up, then palm-side down to dry them thoroughly.
