# How would you dry your hands if you care about Earth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838 "2009-10-06T19:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BlooD\_FeatheR\_BG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BlooD\_FeatheR\_BG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlooD_FeatheR_BG)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/1 "2009-10-06T19:04:26Z")
**I have an Eco-dilemma for you : what is the most environmentally friendly way to dry your hands everyday after washing?** 1 - The old school hand towel (ok, but for the washing you pollute water with chemicals) 2 - Napkins (good, but you must cut a lot of wood, not that friendly…right) 3 - Hand dryer (well, let us not forget the things the power plants waste into our atmosphere) So… what are your suggestions… Thank you.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/2 "2009-10-06T19:06:28Z")
If you insist on being a fanatic about it . . . shake off the excess water and wave your arms in the air. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/3 "2009-10-06T19:07:30Z")
First, you can save a lot of energy by NOT SHOUTING. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/4 "2009-10-06T19:09:38Z")
“3. Wipe hands on pants.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/5 "2009-10-06T19:29:21Z")
> [@Rodd\_Hill](#): > > “3. Wipe hands on pants.” “4. Receive Bacon.” ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/6 "2009-10-06T19:31:26Z")
Save water too; don’t wash hands. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/7 "2009-10-06T19:33:01Z")
I agree that you should just shake them dry if it bothers you. But out of the 3 choices, a towel sounds better. You’re already washing a ton of clothes per week, what’s one little towel per week going to hurt? ---
**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/8 "2009-10-06T19:46:16Z")
Dry your hands on your shirt. You don’t want to use a hand towel, because you need to wash it every few days to keep the germs you scrape off your hands from multiplying. You’re going to wash your shirt anyway. An eco friendly person knows that you can wear pants 2-3 days between washings. (Change undies daily). But you only wear a shirt once between washings. If you’re not wearing a shirt that can handle a little water…use a hand towel. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/9 "2009-10-06T20:06:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If you insist on being a fanatic about it . . . shake off the excess water and wave your arms in the air. At concerts and other events, this can be a very difficult maneuver. On the one hand, you are expressing concern for the environment. On the other hand, you are being asked to wave them in an apathetic manner. Per the OP, I would say towel is the most eco-friendly method, provided you don’t wash the towel unnecessarily. While there are easily thought-up hypotheticals that could make a difference, the marginal harm/environmental cost of one towel to a properly loaded washer is fairly minimal. Compared to the environmental costs of paper products or powering air-dry machines, a reusable towel will have the smallest footprint. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/10 "2009-10-06T20:07:02Z")
There is a column about that. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2721/whats-better-for-the-environment-electric-hand-dryers-or-paper-towels](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2721/whats-better-for-the-environment-electric-hand-dryers-or-paper-towels) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/11 "2009-10-06T20:37:22Z")
If you care about the earth, there is virtually nothing you can do that will make any significant difference at all. You might as well decide to hold your breath for a moment so that you temporarily reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. And while you’re at it, forget about the notion that if only \*everyone \*were to use your method of hand-drying, the climate would stop changing, the whales would live, and a Disney movie would break out. Your efforts, while making YOU feel somewhat better, don’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/12 "2009-10-06T20:42:54Z")
I wash 'em in toilet water, which is going to be flushed _anyway_, and dry 'em on the seat of my trousers. Then I shuffle out of the men’s room at the Greyhound Bus Depot, look for long-ish cigarette butts on the ground and in ashtrays, and try to hit up passers-by for loose change (to feed the Vodka Monkey on my back). ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/13 "2009-10-06T21:27:33Z")
> [@CC](#): > > If you care about the earth, there is virtually nothing you can do that will make any significant difference at all. You might as well decide to hold your breath for a moment so that you temporarily reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. And while you’re at it, forget about the notion that if only \*everyone \*were to use your method of hand-drying, the climate would stop changing, the whales would live, and a Disney movie would break out. Your efforts, while making YOU feel somewhat better, don’t matter. But… you’re ignoring the OP’s question. He didn’t ask “How can I save the world?” he asked “What’s the most environmentally friendly way to dry my hands?” Since he’s already going to dry his hands, it seems reasonable to find the best way. As for the OP, my vote goes for air drying or using your pants or shirt. Second place is a hand towel. I wash my hand towels every two or three weeks, and no house guests have died from rampant bacterial growth. (In fact, on the issue of washing frequency, **Pan1** , I think you’re insane unless you work as a laborer. I have a nice, standard office job and wash shirts after two or three wearings. Pants can be worn at least twice that before washing.) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/14 "2009-10-06T21:37:46Z")
> [@CC](#): > > If you care about the earth, there is virtually nothing you can do that will make any significant difference at all. You might as well decide to hold your breath for a moment so that you temporarily reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. And while you’re at it, forget about the notion that if only \*everyone \*were to use your method of hand-drying, the climate would stop changing, the whales would live, and a Disney movie would break out. Your efforts, while making YOU feel somewhat better, don’t matter. That’s extraordinarily nonsensical. Whether certain actions’ impact is marginally beneficial or harmful is one thing. But there are a _lot_ of actions that, while personally minimal, aggregate to substantial environmental effects. Pretending otherwise perpetuates a rather harmful lie. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Captain\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/15 "2009-10-06T21:58:41Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Your efforts, while making YOU feel somewhat better, don’t matter. ‘[Irresponsibility](http://despair.com/ir.html); No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood’. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/16 "2009-10-06T22:01:26Z")
> [@Captain\_Awesome](#): > > ‘[Irresponsibility](http://despair.com/ir.html); No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood’. No single raindrop IS responsible for the flood. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Captain\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/17 "2009-10-06T22:08:42Z")
Not being wholly responsible =! devoid of any responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/18 "2009-10-06T22:12:58Z")
> [@Captain\_Awesome](#): > > ‘[Irresponsibility](http://despair.com/ir.html); No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood’. > [@CC](#): > > No single raindrop IS responsible for the flood. > [@Captain\_Awesome](#): > > Not being wholly responsible =! devoid of any responsibility. Irregardless. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/19 "2009-10-06T22:22:18Z")
**No Impact Man** reviews always mention how they don’t use toilet paper. Do I want to know what they do instead? Non-disposable cloths would need to be laundered… ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838/20 "2009-10-06T22:34:23Z")
And keep in mind the Law Of The Conservation Of Filth: To make anything clean, you have to make something else dirtier. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dry-your-hands-if-you-care-about-earth/512838.md?page=2)