subject: The New Face Of Private And Public Health: Automatic Hand Dryers [print this page] Automatic hand dryers are like life saversAutomatic hand dryers are like life savers. Before this technology was widely used, I always avoid using public washrooms. I don't want using toilet tissues because I find it very unhygienic. I even had an experience once before when I found the tissues in the toilet moist. I was caught red handed because I just washed my hands and they were both dripping wet at that time. I was so pissed that I never dared using public washrooms again.
Sometimes, when me and my friends are hanging out in the mall or eating out, it is always a hassle for me whenever I feel like going to the toilet or if I need to wash my hands or something like that. Since I already have developed an aversion to using public washrooms, I sometimes choose to just go home.
My friends tease me all the time because of this. They said that I might already have an obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is a psychological problem. Of course I disagreed because I am not as afraid of getting dirty like those who really have OCD. However, the thought of hundreds of people who do almost anything inside the toilet cubicles and have had personal contact to those tissues ekes me out. I have also read a lot of articles about how much bacteria can one get from touching toilet tissues and tissue holders, and it churns my stomach even more. My mother told me to just bring hand towels wherever I go. However, I find it very inconvenient since I am used to bringing small pouches whenever I go out and it just so impossible to stuff a hand towel in the pouch, together with my other personal things. That therefore leaves me with no better choice.
That is why I was really relieved when our supervisor told us that all toilets in our office building will be installed with automatic hand dryers. These automatic hand dryers are very different with those I have seen in some malls abroad because you don't need to push any buttons anymore to turn the dryer on. It works using infrared sensors. This means that it is totally touch-free as it turns on immediately when the sensors detects the heat of your hands. Touch free technologies like these really work for me because it minimizes hand contact thus also avoid the transmission of disease-carrying bacteria.
Moreover, since automatic hand dryers reduce the use of tissue papers, it is also safe to conclude that the widespread use of these kinds of technology helps the environment. As we all know, all kinds of papers, including tissue papers, comes from the trees. Therefore, as human consumption of papers increases which also means that the demand is going in an upward direction, manufacturers need to increase their production to match the demand to avoid shortage. Increased paper production would in turn mean that more trees will be cut, and since trees do not grow overnight, deforestation will most probably occur.
When we talk of deforestation, many more environmental and natural problems will come in mind like floods, landslides, etc. Nobody wants that. It is therefore very beneficial to use automatic hand dryers instead.
Last week, I realized that automatic hand dryers are not only for commercial buildings, since similar harmful bacteria could also be found inside our houses. With this thought, a wild idea popped in my mind. I thought that it would be a very healthy decision to put automatic hand dryers in my own toilets, since I also have visitors once in a while, and I will be having children to protect in the future. I went online and I found that it is actually possible to have these kinds of dryers at home. I did not think twice to order and have them installed as soon as possible. When my friends saw this, they really found it cool. After that, everybody seems to want automatic hand dryers in their own homes as well.
It is indeed my life saver, and I know that the whole world is also thankful for this like me. Automatic hand dryers really changed the face of public and private health and hygiene.
