Why Hands-Free Dryers Should Be in Your Future

Wondering why (and if) you should invest in high-speed hand dryers for your facility? Now is a great time to take a new look at this often overlooked aspect of your customers’ experience.

The hand dryers of today are much more efficient, user-friendly, and feature options like HEPA filters that help clean the air and motor controls for optimizing energy use and sound level.

I had the opportunity to interview with Sanitary Maintenance magazine for a round-up article about all things high-speed hand dryers—basically, what you need to know if you’re on the fence about investing in the newest-gen hand dryers. Here are three insights I shared:

New-gen hand dryers promote better hygiene

There is a lot of controversy about the health implications of paper towels vs. hand dryers. Some recent studies even claim hand dryers spread bacteria in restrooms. Like everything else, though, there are two sides to every story.

And guess what? Paper towel manufacturers sponsor most of those studies. In fact, the Mayo Clinic has reviewed numerous studies, determining while some favored paper towels, others indicated hand dryers were more hygienic. Research published in the American Journal of Infection Control indicated that unused paper towels could harbor bacteria. The U.S. National Institute of Health concluded hot air dryers are safe when it comes to bacterial contamination.

The reality is that bacteria exist in every single restroom environment, right? Regular upkeep and proper sanitation make the biggest impact, along with investing in the latest-gen hand dryers.

Automatic hands-free dryers have the opportunity to reduce the spread of germs and cross-contamination. Newer models offer antimicrobial technology designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and fungus, as well as extend the dryer’s serviceable life. HEPA filtration, which is a new feature to hand dryers, has also been shown to remove pathogens in the air.

Feel the clean air already? So do your customers.

New-gen hand dryers go high tech

A consideration for all industries is how Internet of Things (IoT) will shape every product, including hand dryers.

Modern hand dryers already offer significant cost savings, energy efficiency and easy maintenance. Research is taking it one step further to look at ways to provide intuitive data collection. At some point in the future, hand dryers will be able to collect data about how many people use your restrooms and when—so you can schedule cleaning and maintenance at optimal times for your staff and patrons, for a start.

What makes this so exciting is that the sky’s going to be the limit here and we are looking forward to being part of these advancements.

New-gen hand dryers fit snugly in the zero-waste movement

We all care about efficiency and environmental impact. That’s why its important to care about what type of hand dryers your facility offers.

Older models use up to 2,300 watts of electricity and take 30 seconds to dry hands. Newer hand dryers only use about 950 watts and dry hands in under 12 seconds. The result: High-speed dryers consume 88 percent less energy than legacy models.

And just in case you’re still hanging on to paper towels, consider this: One ton of paper consumes 17 trees, three cubic yards of landfill space and 20,000 gallons of polluted water. If you’re reaching for zero waste, paper towels are on the far opposite end of being energy and environmentally responsible.

Try looking at your dryers with fresh eyes—it’s probably time for an exciting upgrade.