Kimberly-Clark Professional Welcomes New Hand Hygiene Research

New research presented at ISSA/Interclean in Amsterdam last week on hand hygiene and optimal drying has been praised by Kimberly-Clark Professional.

The research adds another layer to a growing body of evidence which suggests paper towels are the most hygienic and effective hand-drying method in washrooms, particularly in helping to minimise the spread of viruses.

The independent research, conducted by microbiologists Dr. Patrick Kimmitt and Keith Redway of the University of Westminster, studied the transmission of viruses using three different hand-drying methods – paper towels, a jet air dryer and a warm air dryer.

The results of the study that were presented at an in-depth session hosted by the European Tissue Symposium (ETS) at ISSA/Interclean, indicate that single-use paper towels help minimise the spread of viruses including ones associated with various diseases, like those causing gastro-intestinal infections such as Norovirus and Rotavirus.

Additionally, the results of the study indicate that single-use paper towels disperse fewer microorganisms into the environment than jet air dryers and warm air dryers, while also helping to reduce the risk that viruses are blown into the faces of small children accompanying adults in the washroom.

These findings have serious implications for washroom facility managers in settings such as hospitals and restaurants where hygiene is paramount.

Ed Borrini, Target Market Leader for Office Buildings at Kimberly-Clark Professional, said:  “We warmly welcome the results of this latest study on hand hygiene in the washroom.

“Credible, independent research can only help facility managers to understand that washrooms should only use paper towels for hand drying to help prevent the spread of viruses, particularly in environments like hospitals and restaurants where hygiene is critical.”

The new study was presented briefly by Keith Redway at the European Public Health Conference in Milan in October 2015 where it received wide interest. It was subsequently published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal in December 2015 (reference: Kimmitt, P.T. & Redway, K.F. Evaluation of the potential for virus dispersal during hand drying: a comparison of three methods. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 120, 478-486. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jam.13014/abstract).

Keith Redway presented the results in full at ISSA/Interclean, Amsterdam on May 11th in a talk entitled ‘Washroom hygiene: The dispersal of viruses by different hand-drying methods.’