How I Trained Myself to Let My Hands Air Dry After Washing Them

 

 

I believe that from a young age I have had a touch of OCD. I have also always washed my hands excessively. Maybe not pathologically, or even obsessively, but several times per day. In doing so, I was wasting a lot of paper towels. Of course, I bought the select-a-size type to reduce waste, but I was going through at least a couple of rolls every week.

 

Recently, I have found myself not wanting to waste so much paper. I have also not wanted to spend so much on towels. So, I started drying my hands with a rag and that works ok, except wet rags take a long time to dry. I have also been keeping a roll of toilet paper in the kitchen, near the sink, because you can often substitute a few squares of toilet paper for a clean up job without having to resort to the paper towels. I see it as a cheaper and less wasteful alternative for many spills.

 

But I have also found myself letting my hands air-dry. At first, I found it very aversive. It was frustrating to have wet hands. As long as they are wet, its hard to think about doing anything else. But the truth is they only take about two minutes to dry. I timed it, and they are almost always completely dry before the three minute mark. Of course, this depends on ambient temperature and movement. It can really speed up the process to flick your hand and fingers in the sink after washing to get the water droplets off. Then, about one minute into the air-drying process, rubbing your hands together for five seconds helps to speed up the process as well by warming the surface and evenly distributing the remaining water.

 

Now I go through less than a roll per month. It feels good to know that I am saving trees, the energy needed to process them, creating less waste, and saving my own money. I was actually pretty proud of myself and figured that I overcame paper towels on my own. But it took me a few weeks to realize that this was a gradual habit that I developed after my gym stopped supplying paper towels due to COVID. The key was, being forced to allow my hands to air-dry as I walked out of they gym helped me to get used to the sensation of having wet hands. It helped me overcome the aversion to the feeling. Basically, the experience made it so that having wet hands for a couple of minutes no longer prompted shallow breathing. The irritation dissolved through simple habituation.

 

It is important to mention that medical doctors claim it is important to dry your hands. Wet hands more easily transfer and pick up germs. This is very true. So, you wouldn’t want to start touching people, public spaces, or shared objects with those wet hands. But the thing is, your hands will become entirely dry from the air alone within three minutes, making this method feasible in many cases, and especially in low-risk environments like when you are at home.

 

I am happy to be using fewer towels today and excited about the monetary savings. It feels like a step toward being more natural. But more importantly, it reminded me of something deeper: our minds are full of arbitrary rules and compulsions. When we examine them, we sometimes find they’re at odds with our values—like sustainability or simplicity. The solution isn't always about willpower. Sometimes, the key is gentle exposure, a little patience, and trusting that discomfort can fade with familiarity.