SAN ANTONIO — During the few years of the coronavirus pandemic most of us upped our game when it came to washing hands. But you need to think about what happens to your hands not only when you wash them but also when you go to dry them.
THE QUESTION
Is it true that if you don't dry your hands fully after washing, they could transmit germs more easily?
THE SOURCES
- Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with University Health, and Professor of Infectious Diseases with UT Health San Antonio
- The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention
THE ANSWER
TRUE
WHAT WE FOUND
Dr. Bowling says making sure your hands are fully dry after washing is a must.
"The process of drying your hands actually helps to remove more of the germs from your hands, and the drying can actually inactivate or kill some of the germs that are left behind that the hand wash didn't take care of," Bowling said. "Whereas when it's wet, it can still sit in that that wet layer on your hand and be transferred to something else."
The CDC's handwashing page reads, "Germs can be transferred more easily to and from wet hands; therefore, hands should be dried after washing. However, the best way to dry hands remains unclear because few studies about hand drying exist."
So yes, it is true. If you don't dry your hands fully after washing they could transmit germs more easily.
The CDC also says, because so few studies exist about the type of hand drying, and in those studies the results conflict, use a clean towel or air-dryer as your best options.