Most people don’t have a good impression of commercial hand dryers. This is because older models of commercial hand dryers didn’t always work as well as modern models do now. Users were apt to get frustrated by the time it took for older models to dry their hands. Then they would give up and either use a paper towel or dry their hands off the rest of the way on their pants. New technology used in modern commercial hand dryers has brought the time it takes for the machine to do its job down to about 12 seconds. The environmental impact of using paper towels can be high. The process of making paper towels makes an impact on the environment. Also, paper towels are not easily recyclable, so most of the ones that are thrown away end up in landfills.
Costs
Electric hand dryers do cost more up-front to install in a washroom compared to paper towel dispensers. However, hand dryers cost much less in terms of upkeep compared to paper towel dispensers. Paper towels must be checked on a regular basis, and must be refilled as well. Not only do the paper towels cost money, but someone also must be paid to refill them, as well as dispose of the garbage they create. Electric hand dryers basically take care of themselves. Good quality hand dryers seldom break down, and have a lifetime of many years. The main continuing cost of a hand dryer is the electricity it uses. With modern hand dryers being made with very efficient technology, they draw less power than they ever did before. A business can certainly save money in the long run by having electric hand dryers rather than paper towels in their washroom.
Hygiene
Another factor to consider when comparing paper towels and electric hand dryers is hygiene. The paper towels can actually carry some bacteria on them straight out of the box. Of course, paper towels are always going to be more hygienic compared to reusable cloth hand towels. However, modern hand dryers usually come equipped with HEPA filters inside that clean the air of bacteria and other contaminants before it is blown out to dry the user’s hands. Modern hand dryers also come equipped with touch-free automatic sensors to turn the machine on. With these features, modern hand dryers are the most hygienic method of drying hands out of all of them.
