Microbiologist makes SHOCKING revelation about how dirty public hand dryers really are
A microbiologist has revealed just how clean public hand dryers really are – and the results are shocking.
Tim Call from Utah has bad news for germaphobes who dry their hands after visiting a public restroom.
The 32-year-old, who previously made headlines for sharing disturbing details about filthy sinks, likes to test commonly used products and areas for bacteria.
In his latest experiment, Tim, who has more than 270,000 followers, gets to work with hand dryers in a TikTok clip that has so far racked up 40,000 views and likes.
Tim Call from Utah has bad news for germaphobes who dry their hands after visiting a public restroom
Tim made the strange discovery by first placing a petri dish in a public bathroom for 10 minutes to see what was in the air. He discovered five bacterial colonies.
He then performed a second test by placing a petri dish under a hand dryer and activating the motion sensor for a single burst of air.
Suddenly he discovered eight bacterial colonies and after waving his hand to produce another burst of air, there were fifteen.
Tim was then given a new dish and waved his hand for 10 blasts of air – finding a whopping 20 colonies of bacteria, as well as two large spots of mold.
Shocked users have taken to the comments section to share their thoughts on the step-by-step video.
One said: ‘I’m going to stop leaving the house.’
Another wrote: ‘As long as you wash your hands afterwards you’ll be fine… oh wait…’
“So I’m going in wearing a hazmat suit,” a third commented.
He then performed a second test by placing a petri dish under a hand dryer and activating the motion sensor for a single burst of air. He discovered eight bacterial colonies and after waving his hand to produce another burst of air, there were fifteen.
Tim was then given a new dish and waved his hand for 10 blasts of air – he found a whopping 20 colonies of bacteria, as well as two large spots of mold
“I don’t use those and don’t let my kids use them either,” said one follower.
“I always told my mom it was better to wipe (my hands) on my pants,” someone else joked.
“This is why I always use hand sanitizer after washing my hands in a public bathroom,” another added.
However, the results are not as bad as you might think.
“I conducted this test because many believe that hand dryers are a terrible way to dry your hands after washing,” Tim said.
‘I’m not sure I really believe that.
‘My experiment showed a simple bathroom air test and a test where air was blown onto a petri dish containing different amounts of air.
‘Although the experiment shows that there is bacteria in the air and that a small amount is blown onto your hands, I do not believe this is due to the hand dryer.
Tim made the strange discovery by first leaving a petri dish in a public bathroom for ten minutes to see what was in the air. He discovered five bacterial colonies
In his latest experiment, Tim, who has more than 270,000 followers, tackles hand dryers in a TikTok clip that has racked up 40,000 views and likes so far
‘I believe the hand dryer simply sucks air from the room and that air is already contaminated.
‘I think you can use a hand dryer to dry your hands.’
Tim often shares videos on TikTok to teach others how dirty everyday objects can be.
He added, “I create this content because I’ve always been curious about what was growing around me and I wanted to see it visually.
‘The cleanest thing I tested that surprised me was gas pumps at gas stations.
‘I thought they would be full of bacteria due to heavy use, but I was surprised to see that there was very little growth: about five colonies growing.
“I imagine this is because the gas fumes are antimicrobial.”