Whenever you wash your hands, whether at home or in a public washroom, and then decide to dry your hands on your clothes, you essentially undo all the effects of washing your hands. Bacteria, residue, and dirt are all very prevalent on your clothing so when you wipe your hands dry on them, your hands will become as dirty as they were before you washed them. To combat that issue, it’s necessary to dry your hands with either a paper towel or available automatic hand dryers in a public setting. As an owner of a facility, you may be tasked with choosing the appliances for the washroom, and you need to choose wisely. This article will help you navigate your decision-making process between hand dryers and paper towels a lot easier.
Environmental Friendliness
Which has a better or worse environment
l impact? High-speed or jet hand dryers take the cake in terms of eco-friendliness. They are produced with an innovative design that allows them to use less energy, which will also significantly impact your energy bill. High-speed hand dryers use cool air, and there isn’t a heating agent that needs to warm up, taking up extra energy as with conventional hand dryers. Paper towels, on the other hand, require a lot of tree harvesting throughout the year in order to fulfill the demand for paper towels across the world. So, in terms of eco-friendliness, a high-speed hand dryer is more efficient, a conventional dryer comes in second place, and paper towels are at the bottom of the list. Maxdry hand dryers offer an extensive selection of hand dryers that meets the needs and preferences of any facility and budget. Choose what works best for you!
Hygiene Scale
There’s an age-old battle between which is the more hygienic choice. We use cloth towels to dry our hands at home, so why do we suddenly need hand dryers in a public washroom? Paper towels are more hygienic for the sole reason that they are one-time-use products. If you put a cloth towel in a pubic washroom, it would accumulate with germs after being used by several people. The hygiene capacity of hand dryers is often questioned. Some believe that they spread germs from hands into the air upon drying while others don’t believe this is even close to being unhygienic as others make it out to be. Hand dryers with a hands-in design, for example, don’t spray out the air into the rest of the washroom. In conclusion, when it comes to which one is more hygienic, it’s really a matter of which perspective you agree with more.
Cost and Value
Buying a hand dryer is a pricey purchase, starting at $100+ dollars and ranging upwards of $1000 depending on the brand and model. Just imagine how pricey it becomes when you need to buy several hand dryers to install across several washrooms. At first glance, paper towels are more cost-effective, but you need to keep the return on investment in mind. Paper towels need to be restocked every day or even several times every day depending on how much foot traffic the washroom gets. While a hand dryer is a pricey purchase, it’s also mostly a one-time purchase. They last for several years (7-10 on average) and require little to no maintenance. You will only need to pay for the monthly utility bill that varies depending on use, with eco-friendly jet dryers being the most cost-effective. With paper towels, the initial dispenser is more affordable, but depending on how many restocks you need, the cost per sheet may end up higher than you anticipated.
Extra Considerations
Here are a few more quick facts you should know before determining which option to opt for:
- Consider foot traffic and location. Paper towels in a school washroom with high foot traffic can become a dumping ground for crumpled-up paper towels. A hand dryer may make it easier for people to get in and get out with minimal mess.
- Take the size of the room into account. If you have a small washroom, it’s best to find a hand drying solution that is optimal for the limited space. Additionally, for special needs washrooms, it’s important that you take size and design into consideration as well to ensure maximum accessibility.
- Look at your budget. There’s a hand drying solution for every budget, so there’s nothing wrong with not pushing the boundaries, as long as you are well-informed about the short-term and long-term costs of each.
There is no concise right or wrong answer. You may even opt to provide both paper towels and hand dryers in the washroom to maximize efficiency and ensure users have a method for drying their hands even if one or the other is unavailable.
