Never dry your hands on a public toilet

Peeing. If you have to, you have to, you know, I know. Unfortunately, it’s made just a bit harder for us women than for the male gender. But hey, if I’m squirming from the urgent need, I’ll squat in the ditch if necessary or ask for the key to that filthy little cubicle at the gas station. Hands under the water or just a squeeze of disinfectant, as long as you don’t hold your hands in one of those supersonic hand dryers. Because what blows out of there is a whole lot, except clean air. After seeing the following images, I am in shock. If you have a fear of germs, then especially don’t read further.

Nichole Ward, a lady like you and me, placed a clean petri dish in a hand dryer after using the toilet. Three minutes later, she revealed the special petri dish and was accompanied by a lot of filth. The once clean dish had turned into a playground of bacteria and viruses within three minutes. The image of the cultivated bacteria on the petri dish shocks not only me but probably you too. However, it unfortunately tells us little, as it is unclear where these bacteria come from, how they were harvested, and which ones they are.

The image has now been shared over 500,000 times on the worldwide web, and from the reactions, it appears that quite a few people who saw it would rather switch back to paper to dry their hands. One thing I do know: no matter where the filth comes from and how it has reproduced, I don’t care, but from now on, there will be an extra bottle of alcohol in my bag. Or a plastic urinal. Even better.