Comment on I'll share a troubling fact with you if you share one with me
AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 1 week agoI have bad news, most (?) paper towels, toilet paper, and even the toilet seat covers are microscopically transparent, meaning there are plenty of gaps for microbes to get through.
protist@mander.xyz 1 week ago
Paper towels folded over on themselves absolutely create a barrier between my hand and the door handle. I’m not talking about flushable paper or toilet seat covers
AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 1 week ago
Paper towels are able to absorb water because of cellulose’s natural gaps and spaces:
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Most bacteria are about 1 micron, and these gaps range from around 1-10 microns.
Especially if damp, it can be argued that they don’t stop the transfer of bacteria. It’s possible that your bacteria transfers through it and vice versa. This is all before the fact that paper towels can already harbor bacteria on their own.
That being said, paper towels do block some. You just shouldn’t think of them as sterile or a magic blocker for bacteria.
protist@mander.xyz 1 week ago
I’d be interested to culture petri dishes off my hand after I use a new paper towel to turn off the faucet vs grabbing the wet handle with my entire hand and shutting it off and then drying off my hand…