CINCINNATI -- (Business Wire)

Restroom hand hygiene – a practice still up for debate – continues to be thrust into the spotlight after a study from the University of Connecticut found hand dryers blow fecal material onto users freshly washed hands.¹ While shocking, yet not surprising, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) has always emphasized that disposable paper towels are the most hygienic option for public restroom users.

“Handwashing best practices are a critical component in limiting the spread of pathogens,” said Jillian Bauer, Marketing Manager, Cintas. “This study is further evidence that individuals should choose paper towels when drying hands to stave off bacteria and limit the spread of infection.”

Before drying your hands, here are five essential hand dryer facts:

• FACT: Hand dryers take 300 percent longer.
  Swift drying is essential to limiting the spread of pathogens. Studies show that paper towels take 10 seconds to dry hands versus 40 seconds for hand dryers.²

• FACT: Hand dryers increase the spread of pathogens.
  Research shows hand dryers increase pathogen aerosolization, spreading more bacteria onto hand surfaces than paper towels.³

• FACT: Hand dryers contaminate entire restrooms.
  Hand dryers launch bacteria over six feet from their source.⁴ Paper towels do not.

• FACT: Hand dryers are too loud.
  Hand dryers can be dangerous for users’ ears as they rival the noise output of a close-range pneumatic drill.⁵

• FACT: Hand dryers are less desirable.
  A recent Harris Poll found that 69 percent of American’s prefer paper towels over hand dryers. Seventy percent agreed paper towels were more effective.⁶

“Data continues to show us that consumers favor paper towels,” added Bauer. “Cintas believes it is essential to understand the facts when making daily choices that affect your health. We are confident that paper towels are the best option.”

For more information about Cintas’ solutions for facilities, please visit http://www.cintas.com/facilityservices/.

About Cintas Corporation

Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get READY® to open their doors with confidence every day by providing a wide range of products and services that enhance our customers’ image and help keep their facilities and employees clean, safe and looking their best. With products and services including uniforms, mats, mops, restroom supplies, first aid and safety products, fire extinguishers and testing, and safety and compliance training, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday®. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.

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¹http://aem.asm.org/content/early/2018/02/05/AEM.00044-18.abstract

²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538484/

³https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(14)00246-1/fulltext

⁴http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538484/

⁵ http://www.europeancleaningjournal.com/magazine/articles/latest-news/superfast-hand-dryers-in-public-toilets-are-as-loud-as-pneumatic-drills

⁶https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170711005083/en/New-Cintas-Survey-Shows-Consumers-Vastly-Prefer

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180724005069/en/

Contacts:

Mulberry Marketing Communications
Jennifer Petersen
312-664-1532
jpetersen@mulberrymc.com

Source: Cintas Corporation