# urine crystals in the hand dryers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691 "2006-01-12T18:13:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/21 "2006-01-13T18:07:16Z")
Several years ago, during a restaurant remodel, we removed the blower dryers from the bathrooms and replaced them with auto sensing disposable towel dispensers. I didn’t look closely at them then, having no idea I would someday find them a topic of a message board thread. But, I did notice when took them off the walls and set them aside for disposal that there was a slight dust problem in them. I remember it because everytime since that I used one, I would notice that burntish smell and my mind would go back to the image of dust faling out the blowers when manhandled. The dust was dark and somewhat fine. Help any? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/22 "2006-01-13T18:07:46Z")
I just googled hand dryers, and went to several manufacturers’ sites. They were tripping over themselves trying to talk up the wonderful features of what is really just a box with a fan and an element in it. They were rabbiting on about “the hand dryer is ALWAYS ready to use! Say goodbye to customer complaints about empty or clogged towel holders!” and “cleaning up dirty bathroom waste is one of the most unpopular jobs.” So, they were pitching these things at business proprietors based on their low day-to-day maintenance. I’d imagine that changing the filter wouldn’t be a lot of fun, and as the customers wouldn’t know about the filter, or probably even think about the possibility of one, I doubt they’d be installed. One site did admit to lots of crap getting in them though: > [@](#): > > Clear the Flow – If you have automatic hand dryers that use air to dry, you need to regularly clear out the passage to get the best flow of air possible. Again, over time, there can be a build up of dust or other impediments. I then thought I’d double check, and reasoning that if the dryers had filters, there’d need to be spares available, so I googled “hand dryer filters”, but couldn’t find any. I did find [one site](http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Hand-dryer/a/9000000061884.htm) that mentions a brand of Korean hand dryer that “features antibiotic materials and filters…”, so they are out there, but my guess is that the vast majority of these units blow unfiltered air. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/23 "2006-01-13T18:29:29Z")
Heh, I think our simulpost answers a lot of what has been brought up in the discussion. Still, no urine crystal (and what does Crystal think about that?) answer. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/24 "2006-01-13T18:34:58Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > Oh, sure, wait until I get testy to find some facts. ☹ Don’t get pissy with me 🙂 > [@Gary T](#): > > Seriously, though, that study found bacteria in the airflow. That’s no surprise, bacteria are virtually everywhere. Urine crystals in the filters is an altogether different proposition. I still authoritatively judge it false. 😛 Sorry, I was looking at the bigger picture of “nasty stuff” or “is there some kinda health risk”. I still don’t quite get how a hot air dryer can blow something around that isn’t already in the air to begin with though so perhaps this is a bit of a red herring. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/25 "2006-01-13T18:47:35Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Urine in the bladder is sterile. Urine just passed from bladder to the confines of a public washroom is far less so. It generally gets laden with cellular debris and bacteria on its way out. Unless there’s some pathological condition of the urethra or an occult infection, there isn’t much of even epithelial cells in a clean-catch specimen. I’d say offhand that 1/2 to 2/3ds of a random sample from a hospital or clinic are completely clear under the microscope. The bad ones I’ve seen (out of at least a thousand I’ve scoped) are from occasional piss-poor (pun intended) collections, most of those from women. If I could distinguish labial/vaginal epis from urethral epis, I could make a fortune. Vlad/Igor, MT(ASCP) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/26 "2006-01-13T19:58:08Z")
> [@Vlad/Igor](#): > > If I could distinguish labial/vaginal epis from urethral epis, I could make a fortune. Sig line! For somebody. I assume. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/27 "2006-01-13T20:10:06Z")
> [@Vlad/Igor](#): > > Unless there’s some pathological condition of the urethra or an occult infection, there isn’t much of even epithelial cells in a clean-catch specimen. Most folks in public washrooms are _not_ using clean-catch urine techniques. Hell, the folks I see, even when instructed on how to do a clean-catch, generally provide samples that are full of epis, debris, casts, white cells, red cells, sperm, contraband, and ramen noodles. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691/28 "2006-01-14T00:57:10Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Most folks in public washrooms are _not_ using clean-catch urine techniques. Hell, the folks I see, even when instructed on how to do a clean-catch, generally provide samples that are full of epis, debris, casts, white cells, red cells, sperm, contraband, and ramen noodles. Ok, ok. Ramen noodles I have to see 😃 . I remember from my clinical days that labs are mandated to generate normal vs. abnormal values based on the population they see and serve, rather than some theoretical “normal” value, and that can include specimen quality, within limits. I would imagine the normals for a prison would be a bit off from a municipal hospital’s values. Point taken. Vlad/Igor [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urine-crystals-in-the-hand-dryers/339691.md?page=1)