Warm Automatic Hand Dryers vs Paper Towels Tips: In the battle between hand dryers and paper towels, hand dryers win. Automatic hand dryers have many benefits when it comes to staying healthy, cutting costs and reducing waste.
Most people have been taught from an early age that properly washing their hands on a regular basis is important to remaining healthy. We learn to wash our hands before dinner and after using the washroom, among many other times throughout the day, and for good reason: Washing and drying hands properly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of germs and illness.
While many people are concerned about hand washing and sanitizing, the importance of hand drying should also be taken into account. Most public restrooms have either automatic hand dryers or paper towel dispensers. But which is better and more effective? Below, find comparisons between the use of automatic hand dryers and paper towels in public restrooms.
Hygiene:
Washing your hands thoroughly is effective in preventing the spread of germs, yet drying your hands is just as important. It might be tempting to simply dry your hands off on your pants while exiting the restroom, but that means your hands may remain damp for several minutes. What many people do not know is that bacteria is more likely to spread through damp hands rather than dry hands, so making sure your hands are completely dry before leaving the restroom helps prevent illness even further. In busy restrooms, paper towel dispensers can run out quickly, leaving people with no other choice than to skip hand drying. Automatic hand dryers require very little maintenance, and with the development of no-touch technology, there is no need to touch any bacteria-laden surfaces in the process.
Cost:
Due to the constant maintenance and refills that come along with paper towel dispensers, automatic hand dryers are the more cost-effective solutions to hand-drying in public restrooms. Not only must paper towels be refilled, but there are also costs associated with the production and clean-up of paper towels. For example, additional trash bags and cleaning products are needed to dispose of the paper towels and reduce the spread of germs through towels left on countertops. Electric hand dryers last several years and require little maintenance, decreasing the total cost for maintaining the restroom.
Waste:
Automatic hand dryers also have more environmental benefits than paper towels. While some paper towels may be made of recycled materials, used paper towels cannot be recycled, leading to an increase in waste and a continued destruction of trees for paper production. Switching to the use of automatic hand dryers in public restrooms can help reduce waste as well as energy, as the cost and energy used to produce paper towels far outweighs that of hand dryers.
Automatic hand dryers have many benefits when it comes to staying healthy, cutting costs and reducing waste. In the battle between hand dryers and paper towels, hand dryers win.
