Air or towel dry your hands?

Germs missed after hand washing.

With flu season upon us, we start remembering the little things. Do those hot air hand driers found in pubic restrooms -- I hate them -- work better than paper towels?

The New York Times points to what it says is the only independent study of the matter.

In 2000, the Mayo Clinic conducted one of the few independent studies of the matter. Researchers recruited 100 people, contaminated their hands and then instructed them to wash with soap and water. Afterward, they had them run their hands under a warm air dryer for a single 30-second cycle, or use a cloth or paper towel for 15 seconds.

In the end, the scientists called it a draw: both methods dried the hands thoroughly and produced equivalent reductions in bacterial counts. (Other studies that looked at alcohol hand sanitizers found that they eliminated the most bacteria but not all viruses, including the norovirus. And to be effective, they must be at least 60 percent alcohol.)

 I posted this on disinfectants yesterday. A sign of the times, I guess: the Centers for Disease Control teaches us how to wash our hands here.