Dry Safe, Not Dirty.
Why It Matters
Airborne spread: Dryers project particles at face‑level height, increasing exposure risk for children and adults.
Hands stay contaminated: Jet dryers blow microbes back onto freshly washed hands, undoing hygiene.
Toilet plumes amplified: Toilets aerosolize pathogens into the air — dryers recirculate and amplify them.
Paper towels are safer: They physically remove bacteria through friction and don’t aerosolize pathogens.
Hygiene Comparison
| Factor | Electric Hand Dryers | Paper Towels |
|---|---|---|
| Pathogen spread | Jet dryers disperse 60× more viruses than warm air dryers and 1,300× more than paper towels | Physically remove bacteria; no aerosolization |
| Air contamination | Draw in restroom air (including toilet plume aerosols) and blast it onto hands; petri dishes grew 254 colonies in 30 seconds | No air recirculation; no added airborne contamination |
| Surface contamination | Propel particles onto hands, clothes, and nearby surfaces | Limited to disposed towels; surfaces remain cleaner |
| Residual bacteria | Users had more viruses on hands and aprons after jet dryers | Hands showed significantly fewer pathogens |
| Aerosolization risk | Released 140–1000 CFU per drying activity, dispersing microorganisms into surrounding air | No aerosolization; safer for confined spaces |
| Best practice | Not recommended in healthcare or food prep settings | Recommended as the most hygienic method |
What the Studies Show
Cleveland Clinic (2023): Jet dryers spread — rather than remove — germs. Users had more viruses on hands and aprons compared to paper towels.
Harvard Health (2018): Petri dishes exposed to dryers grew 254 bacterial colonies in 30 seconds; dryers pulled in contaminated restroom air.
Times of India (2025): Jet dryers propel contaminated particles onto hands, clothes, and surfaces. Even HEPA‑filtered dryers still release bacteria.
Aerosol Science & Technology (2025): Chamber tests showed Dyson Airblade released 528–1000 CFU per use; Excel Xlerator ~140 CFU. Both contaminated surrounding air and surfaces.
Call to Action
Sign the Public Restroom Renewal Act Today! Public restrooms must protect us — not infect us.
Restrooms Are
Survival Infrastructure
When a pandemic strikes, the difference between containment and collapse often comes down to the simplest acts: washing hands, accessing clean facilities, and maintaining dignity in public spaces.
- San Diego: ~26 restrooms per 100k residents (~1 per 3,900 people)
- Philadelphia and Dallas: Over 20,000 people per restroom
- New York City: ~8.4 restrooms per 100k (~1 per 11,900 people)
- Large U.S. cities (avg): ~10 restrooms per 100k (~1 per 10,000 people)
In most major cities, each public restroom serves tens of thousands — a ratio that turns basic hygiene into a public health hazard and dignity into a daily gamble.
“If San Diego can do it,
Every city can.”
Baseline Standard (Politically Achievable Now)
San Diego, CA proves what’s possible: one public restroom for every 3,900 residents. That’s the baseline every city can and should meet today. A ratio of 1:4,000 is doable— it’s achievable, and it’s urgent.
Gold Standard (Scientifically Necessary, but Politically Impossible)
But science tells us survival requires more. Pandemic preparedness demands one restroom for every 1,000–2,000 people. That’s the gold standard.
Public Restrooms Become Frontline Defenses. Without them, handwashing breaks down, and contagion accelerates because a single restroom serving thousands becomes a chokepoint for infection. Public Restrooms are not luxuries. They are a survival infrastructure.
"San Diego is the best large city for shielding its taxpayers when the global pandemic the 'Big One' shows up. This is NOT about convenience. It is about survival. Hope in hygiene rules them all—and that hope requires restrooms."
Bruce Bonnett
“Armor isn’t optional—it’s survival.” Public restrooms are frontline defenses in pandemics; without them, handwashing collapses and contagion accelerates. Source: UN Water
“Hope in hygiene rules them all.” Preparedness depends on equitable access to clean facilities; dignity and survival are inseparable. Source: CDC
“San Diego shows us the baseline.” One restroom for every 3,900 residents proves achievable standards exist today. Source: City Data
“Gold is the goal, science says so.” Pandemic preparedness demands one restroom for every 1,000–2,000 people. That’s the scientifically necessary ratio. Source: NIH
“Public restrooms are armor, not luxuries.” They are survival infrastructure—without them, communities fall. Source: WHO
“This is not plumbing. This is public health.” Every stall, faucet, and lock is a shield against disease and indignity. Source: OSHA