Hand dryers on campus are not the only choice for people to dry their hands.

Signe Nettum, opinion contributor October 21, 2021

The hand dryer at the University of Iowa needs to leave. This is a hill on which I am willing to die. This is not for washing your hands-you should wash your hands frequently, wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds.

After nearly four years in the university, from a personal point of view, the hand dryers are very loud; they hardly do their work; the line established behind them is brutal; they are just annoying.

I have mapped all my favorite bathrooms on campus, and they all have one thing in common: they all come with tissues.

Paper towels are far superior to the hand dryers around our campus. Whether the hand dryer is a white hand dryer with a button or a gray hand dryer that people move their hands up and down, they cannot achieve the effect of a paper towel.

The main questions I care about are "How long does it take for my hands to dry?" and "How effective are the methods for removing bacteria that may remain due to hand washing?"

Dr. Patrick Findon and TE Miller of the University of Auckland found that “after wiping with a disposable cloth towel for 10 seconds, the residual moisture on the hands was reduced to 4%. After 15 seconds of drying, the residual moisture was reduced to 1%. However, hot air The dryer speed is much slower and it takes 45 seconds to reduce the residual water content to 3%."

From personal experience, I can tell you that the hand dryer has almost no effect when drying my hands. Every time I leave the bathroom, I find myself wiping wet hands on my jeans or shaking off the water from my fingertips. Even the single-layer toilet paper in the bathroom cubicle does better.

As for the bacteria problem, Huang Cunrui reviewed the evidence from the Mayo Clinic and found that "paper towels reduced the number of various bacteria on the hands. However, the hot air dryer increased all types of bacteria on the hands."

Although toilet paper does pose an environmental threat-as stated in the same article written by Huang: "The use of paper towels may adversely affect waste disposal and environmental sustainability.

However, limited research has been conducted to examine the environmental impact of different hand-drying methods.

Even small cases can benefit from paper towels in the bathroom. Living in a dormitory, I often spill drinks on the hard ground. All I can do is toilet paper, at least until someone comes to help me. Paper towels are not just for your hands, getting rid of them and replacing them with a practically useless hand dryer will not help anyone.

Back in middle and high schools, students would grab tissues and carry them with them, and wipe them as they walk. There are hand dryers in the university, and there is a long line in the bathroom. This small area is quickly filled up, especially in the classroom.

If the university cannot replace the hand dryer, at least give us a paper towel option. Please, I hope my hands are clean and dry.

Columns reflect the views of the author, not necessarily the views of the editorial board, Iowa Daily, or other organizations in which the author may participate.

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