It is estimated that we spend one third of our adult life at work[1] and in today’s climate it is vital that hygienic hand washing and drying solutions are available in workspaces to help control the spread of germs. All Dyson Airblade^TM hand dryers have HEPA filtration, drying your hands with clean air – not dirty air. They are also touch-free, with our latest hand drying technology the Dyson Airblade 9kJ, engineered with time-of-flight sensors which activate in 0.25 seconds to deliver clean air. This overcomes the problems faced by some paper towel dispensers and button-based hand dryers. In addition, Dyson Airblade 9kJ is up to 99% less expensive to run than paper towels with up to 85% less CO2 emissions[2]. It’s clear that they are a safe, cost efficient and hygienic solution for any washroom and provide peace of mind for at a time when hygiene is of paramount importance and futureproofing offices with safe and hygienic technology is front of mind.

As part of this renewed vigour around hygiene, Dyson commissioned research with an independent laboratory into different drying methods after rinsing hands or properly washing hands and examined the question of aerosolization, which became a topic of much discussion at the beginning of the pandemic.

The new research supports that Dyson Airblade technology is a safe and hygienic washroom solution, especially compared to paper towels, giving employers and employees assurance that a Dyson Airblade hand dryer is a hygienic washroom essential at a time when returning to public spaces is a concern for many.   

“We know damp hands can transfer up to 1000 times more bacteria than dry hands”[3], says Salome Giao, Senior Researcher at Dyson. “We wanted to ensure that people are washing and drying their hands properly and dispel any myths around aerosolization and hand dryers,” she explains. “Not having a drying option in a washroom due to misinformation can increase the spread of germs and is ultimately unhygienic,” she adds.

What is the study and what does it mean for employees and guests?

This new research supports that the Dyson Airblade^TM is a safe and hygienic way to dry your hands. In this independent study, hands rinsed with water (no soap) or washed with soap for 20 seconds were then dried using Dyson Airblade^TM hand dryers or paper towels. The objective was to determine the effect of the different hand drying methods on concentration of aerosols and bacteria in air. The study results showed that aerosols can be generated in a washroom due to different activities, such as walking, and using a tap. It also revealed that, in general, drying your hands with a Dyson Airblade^TM hand dryer showed no statistical difference to these common washroom activities, such as walking and washing hands.

It also showed the increase of aerosols and bacteria numbers after drying with any of the Dyson Airblade^TM hand dryer models is comparable to the numbers obtained when hands are dried with paper towels, dispelling any uncertainty around this technology in the process. Add to that the fact that Dyson Airblade technology is touch free at a time when people are conscious of touching surfaces such as dispensers, door handles or buttons. In a recent global hygiene study[1], Dyson examined how attitudes towards the washroom and general hand hygiene have changed since COVID-19 started. The study revealed that poorly maintained washrooms caused people concern, with 42% of Candians worrying about having to press buttons on hand dryers to use them. Sixty three per cent of Canadians surveyed selected touchless activation of a hand dryer as one of the features that would put their mind at ease if using a hand dryer and a further 44% stated that hand dryers with filters, which clean the air, would also make them feel more confident when drying their hands with a hand dryer.