Are you of a paper towel persuasion?

Scientific evidence continues to mount that disposable paper hand towel systems are by far the most hygienic way for people to dry their hands in workplace and public washrooms, says paper towel manufacturer Kimberly Clarke Professional.

It reports that in one recent large-scale study conducted in 2012 by Eurofins-Inlab, an independent laboratory based in Germany, (commissioned by the European Tissue Symposium), researchers measured microorganisms on hand drying equipment and on floors below them in real life washrooms.

The results showed that the bacterial counts found on the surfaces of paper towel dispensers were on average 1,000 times lower than those recorded on the surfaces of jet air dryers. Meanwhile, floors tested beneath paper towel drying systems were found to have bacterial counts on average 20 times lower than the floors beneath jet air dryers.

Evidence that air dryers harbour bacteria is particularly significant says Kimberly Clarke Professional, because its own observational research has found that 100% of the people who use jet air dryers touch their surface.