Bathroom sanitation is an issue all public bathrooms face on a day-to-day basis. Recently a Facebook post went viral about an image of a Petri dish claiming to contain bacteria and pathogenic fungi from a hand dryer. The post is by Nicole Ward, who shared the image of bacteria and fungi she said grew after only a few days. "I stuck the open plate in an enclosed hand dryer of a public bathroom for a total of 3 minutes," Ward says in the post. "Yes 3 minutes only. DO NOT EVER dry your hands in those things again." She goes on to finish by saying, "This is several strains of possible pathogenic fungi and bacteria that you're swirling around your hands, and you think you're walking out with clean hands. You're welcome."

The hand dryer in question Ward claims she stuck the dish in is a Dyson Airblade and the manufacturers commented about the situation, saying they were surprised to see the results and were "unclear on the methodology employed." It should be mentioned that Ward's scientific background is unclear, so her 

Now, it goes without saying that these results should be taken with a grain of salt, but the post has been shared at this point more than 530,000 times, so it is clearly reaching an audience and making an impact. It is making people question whether or not they should be using an enclosed hand dryer in a public restroom, due to the possibility of harmful bacteria. Ward even goes so far to say in the comments that she won't dry her hands at all in the bathroom. Not with a dryer. Not with paper towels. Simply wave her hands in the air and dry them on her clothes. 

This all brings up an interesting conversation about bathroom sanitation and how clean your hands get after washing them in public bathrooms. For owners of restaurants, clean and sanitary bathrooms are a must. Before purchasing any sort of products, it is important to ensure you are getting quality products that will keep the customers healthy and germ-free. Having an unpleasant experience in a bathroom due to unsanitary conditions is a turn off for many people and could lead to that customer never returning again. Don't leave that up to chance and research products before purchasing them. Check out our selection of janitorial products to ensure your bathrooms are kept clean.

Nobody wants to get the flu. Recently, the Center for Disease Control released an official health advisory for all Americans 6 months and older. This advisory stated the need for those Americans to get vaccinated for the flu. Since the flu strain is constantly changing, it is difficult to accurately pinpoint the exact strain of flu that could cause you harm. Here are seven places to be wary of in public that could be harboring harmful germs. Some of your more standard places are on the list, like subway turnstiles and gym equipment, but one area might be surprising and that the soap dispenser in a public restroom.

Soap dispensers in a bathroom are dirtier than they may realize, as the liquid soap itself can become contaminated. One study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found that one in every four dispenser machines used in public restrooms are contaminated with bacteria and even fecal matter. To avoid germ hubs like this, washing your hands with soap from dispensers that uses sealed refills can greatly reduce the bacteria from getting on your hands. If you are a real germophone, bringing your own soap and hand sanitizers will ease those concerns.

So make sure your soap dispensers have sealed refills, because those that do not are susceptible to contracting harmful germs, which could in turn lead to the flu. Check out our janitorial section for our selection of soap dispensers and hand sanitizers to keep you, your employees and your customers healthy and germ free.