Take a look at the facts below and you'll see why hand drying with paper towels wins hands down.
Air dryers can blow bacteria onto you and all over the washroom. A University of Westminster study found that high-speed dryers increase bacteria counts on hands by up to 42%, and warm air dryers by up to 194%. Paper towels actually reduce levels of bacteria present on hands by up to 76% after washing and drying.*
The faster hands are dried, the sooner people disperse. Paper towel dispensers require no waiting, no lines, no dripping. As soon as you take a paper towel, you can free the space for the next person. On top of that, our enMotion® paper towels dry hands in five seconds flat, while air-powered dryers can take as long as 15 and 18 seconds respectively – not to mention the time you have spent waiting for a free dryer.
Air hand dryers can be as loud as a subway train. Air dryer sound levels can reach 95db and even higher – just like a subway train at 200 meters. The enMotion® automatic touchless dispenser is only as noisy as a normal conversation.
Towels look good on paper. Paper towel dispensing can save you money over time.
An incredibly impressive 79% of people prefer paper towels to air**.
According to the European Tissue Symposium (ETS), a study undertaken by scientists at the University of Westminster suggests that electric hand dryers found in thousands of public toilets can dramatically increase the number of bacteria on people’s hands after washing. The study reveals that drying hands with warm air dryers increases the total number of bacteria on the palms by an average 194%, while paper towels decrease the total bacteria count in the same area by 76%. This is especially important, as we know that hand hygiene prevents the spread of infectious disease. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cross-contamination is the leading cause of disease proliferation. Hand washing is the most important and least expensive measure to prevent transmission of infection.
Tissues are often recommended by public authorities as the best solution to limit transmission of germs and viruses. Using a tissue once and immediately throwing it away is described as a simple but necessary step towards better hygiene.
In the UK, the ‘Catch It, Bin It, Kill It’ campaign launched by the UK Department of Health in November 2007 raised awareness of the need for good respiratory and hand hygiene, and encouraged people to follow correct hygiene steps when coughing and sneezing. In France, the Institut National de Prévention et d’Education pour la Santé (INEPS) launched a campaign in 2006 entitled “Jetez vos mouchoirs dans une poubelle, un geste simple pour limiter les risques d’infection”.
* University of Westminster, Feb. 2009 – A comparative study of different hand drying methods
** Washroom Products Study sponsored by Georgia-Pacific, July, 2009