Hand Dryers Vs. Paper Towels

Some people prefer paper towels, others prefer hand dryers. Whichever side you’re on we are going to discuss the two options to help you determine which is the best option for your business.

Cost

Both are winners in their own regard when it comes down to costs. The initial cost of hand dryers can turn people away from having them installed as they can cost hundreds of dollars and up to $1000 or more for a single, high quality unit. However, once they have been purchased the long-term costs are going to be less than if you were to stock paper towels. Paper towels are the better option if you cannot afford the initial hand dryer purchase and are fine with repeatedly stocking up. Vice versa, the hand dryer is the clear choice for minimizing costs long-term thanks to the small amount of energy required to operate.

The Environment and Efficiency

Taking a look at social responsibility, hand dryers take the cake. They use very little energy compared to paper towels, which use considerable amounts of energy in their production, packaging and shipping. Paper towels also fill your restrooms trash bin quite quickly which results in more garbage bags being used and ending up in landfills. Not only does damp paper towel fill trash bins it also creates an environment for bacteria buildup after being disposed of. It is also not uncommon to find paper towels scattered around garbage bins from people missing their toss or an overflowing bin, which leads to more time cleaning and further spread of germs than you would have with a hand dryer.

Hand dryers have also improved significantly in the past few years in terms of power usage and average drying time. Dyson has a popular product in the Xlerator which is a fierce competitor in the hand drying market regarding its efficiency.

Hygiene

Hand dryers can vary on the efficiency depending on the quality and air flow specifications as can paper towels in their absorption qualities and size. We will not discuss the varying types of each of these though as we found in a study by the Mayo Clinic that paper towels are more efficient at fully drying hands and removing extra germs that remained after hand washing. More recently however, leaders from Excel Dryer have published their own hygiene facts about their hand dryers found here. The debate seems to be ongoing, but as air filtration systems continue to improve hand dryers could be the undisputed future leader in terms of hygiene.

Another hygiene factor to consider is the motion sensor version of either product. Any hand dryer or paper towel dispenser with a button to start air flow or a lever to dispense paper towel is going to be significantly less hygienic than a touch free system. Buttons and levers require more sanitizing because of the amount it will be touched in a day whereas touch free units will not need that amount of maintenance and anyone using it avoids the lingering germs left behind by the last user.

Overall it comes down to preference and neither are a clear winner currently. Hopefully this was able to provide some insight into the hand drying options in your business and maybe sway you one way or the other depending on the fit for your business or catering to your customers.