by Ellen Kirkness ’12

 Step one: place hands under vent. Step two: press button. Step three: wipe hands on pants. Although not included in instruction manuals for the typical hand-dryer, this third step is surely necessary to complete the task which the appliance almost always fails to perform: drying your hands. The installment of hand-dryers is a phenomenon which has swept through nearly every student bathroom in MCPS and will ultimately result in the elimination of all paper towels in schools.

Hand-dryers have increased in popularity as a result of world-wide eco-friendly efforts. In attempting to save our environment, we have come up with many inventions which are both useful and green. The hand-dryer doesn’t fall into this category. It is the most ineffective invention of the Green Movement.

In addition to decreasing good hygiene, hand-dryers epically fail at actually drying hands. After pushing the button, one often stands with his or her hands beneath the deafening dryer for at least two minutes. After this period of time, it is not unusual to wipe one’s hands on his or her pant leg. For those who are persistent in achieving the optimum dry experience (which, truly, may only be achieved by using paper towels), it is necessary to keep one’s hands beneath the vent for close to five minutes. Think about all the valuable class time being missed during this process!

In order to complete a sanitary trip to the bathroom, paper towels are necessary. The best way to avoid picking up germs after scrubbing one’s hands is to touch handles and doors with a paper towel rather than the naked skin. The installment of hand-dryers has caused the extinction of paper towels in school bathrooms; therefore, not one student who has used the bathroom at some point during the day has remotely clean hands.

It has been said that hand-dryers blow out concentrated urine which collects inside and attaches to the blissfully unaware hands of every individual who desires dry hands. People should just abandon washing their hands because our hands seem to be more of a germ haven after the washing process than before. If paper towels are brought back, the public will regain hygiene.