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Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels: What Is Better?

Since the introduction of hand dryers into public toilets, both owners of businesses and customers of such companies have pondered the topic of which product is superior: paper towels or hand dryers. Hand dryers seem more beneficial to the environment and may save money simultaneously. However, they are more expensive. Paper towels provide a higher level of cleanliness to the end user. The towels made of paper may either be created with virgin materials and also from recycled ones. The majority of research concentrate on regular paper towels.

There are two distinct types of hand dryers on the market today: the traditional, warm-air hand drier, which George Clemens developed in 1948, and the jet versions, which Dyson has popularized since 2006. If you’re looking to buy a Dyson hand dryer, follow the link to go to handstations.co.uk, a leading Dyson hand dryer supplier in the UK.

Impact on the environment

Hand dryers typically have a lifespan of 10 years. Paper towels have a more significant negative effect on the environment when compared to a hand drier. Using a typical hand dryer causes much lower greenhouse gas emissions with each use. Jet-based hand dryers are more power efficient than conventional hand dryers but emit more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The manufacturing, delivery, and storage of paper towels also factor towards the overall environmental impact and usage. Paper towels have a larger carbon footprint than hand dryers since they need more frequent restocking and disposal due to the higher use volume. The emission of greenhouse gases caused by using two conventional paper towels is roughly five times more than hand dryer usage.

Hygienic factor

Many types of research published a summary of studies concerning the relationship between hand dryer usage and transmission of germs. The researchers have discovered that drying one’s hand using paper towels significantly minimizes the likelihood that germs would be passed from person to person.

Drying one’s hands using a hand dryer is not considered as hygienic as drying with paper towels, as it is believed to transmit germs. Microbes can only be blown a distance of a single foot by conventional dryers, whereas jet dryers can blast germs up to 7 feet further. When germs on the hands were measured before and after drying, regular dryers showed an increase in the number of bacteria of around 200 percent. In contrast, jet dryers showed a rise in bacteria by 50 percent.

The paper towels were reported to be much more hygienic as their usage reportedly caused a reduction of around 70 percent bacteria compared to the dryers.

Cost of usage

Paper towels need not just the towels themselves but also a location for dumping them after usage, necessitating additional running costs such as trash bags, amongst other things. In addition, there are expenses associated with cleaning and disposing of paper towels. According to the research findings, the cost of using two regular paper towels is much higher than a single use of a hand dryer.

Looking at the comparison, it is not straightforward to ascertain whether people should use paper towels or dryers, as they have mixed benefits and drawbacks. The ultimate decision will be based on a person’s preferences, as people more concerned with environmental impact will prefer the dryer, whereas people obsessed with cleanliness and hygiene will opt for the paper towel.

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