The installation of a bathroom hand dryer is an obvious choice for a number of valid reasons, amongst them; cost and the environment. Even a medium size bathroom, one that can handle the demand with only two or three hand dryers, would use many thousands of paper towels a week. The estimated cost to supply paper towels can easily run into $1,000 or more every year not to mention the cost of producing them and the cost of transportation, storage and maintenance personnel to ensure the towel dispensers are always full.
Why a bathroom hand dryer is better:
A bathroom hand dryer is little more than a low wattage element, a small motor and controls; at most, a hand dryer costs no more than $15 per month in electricity consumption. Furthermore, there is minimal maintenance and obviously no production, storage or transport costs.
The paper towel industry is fighting back; their contention is that paper towels are more hygienic. Studies however seem to dispute this; it may be true that paper towels are effective in decreasing the bacteria and germs on the persons hands but, paper towels hold water. Damp paper towels left in an overflowing trash can are far more liable to spread germs than a bathroom hand dryer.
How often have you gone into a public restroom to find paper towels thrown about? They end up on the floor, left in the sink and often are the reason why toilets are plugged and overflowing.
High speed HEPA hand dryers:
The design of a bathroom hand dryer has changed tremendously since the introduction of hand dryers in the late 1940s. Today, rather than take the better part of a minute to dry hands, they can do the same job in a matter of seconds. When equipped with HEPA filters the air that is blown onto the hands is actually cleaner than the air in the room.
There really is no valid argument; a bathroom hand dryer is far superior to paper towels. Over the life of the dryer the cost savings are tremendous and cleanliness is a given, not so when paper towels are used.
