How often is it that we have to wash hands in a public washroom and then end up drying them on those wall-fitted hand dryers, despite not wanting to? Well, it's simply because this has now become a norm even though paper towels are way more hygienic.
Today, it is not only the surveys but extensive research that prove the greater hygiene of paper towels compared to hand dryers. Cost, usability, maintenance, etc., are some aspects other than hygiene that work more in favor of paper towels.
We are not ending this article without running into their deep detail:
- Eco-friendliness
- Hygiene
- Economic cost
- Space and style
- Maintenance
- Drying Speed and Efficiency
- Usability
Environmentally friendly
With global warming being an increased affair of concern each passing day, eco-friendliness of anything we use as humans is a heavy responsibility on our shoulders.
In the case of hand dryers and paper towels, there is a possible tie between which is more eco-friendly and why.
Hand dryers run on electricity, and electricity is mainly produced using non-renewable energy sources, which doesn't make it very environment-friendly. Non-renewable energy resources are the largest source of greenhouse gas production, which is responsible for global warming.
Even though some energy-efficient hand dryers are now being produced, they still use a certain amount of electricity.
Secondly, hand dryers are also known for contributing to noise pollution. They are loud compared to paper towels that barely produce any noise.
On the other hand, paper towels are non-ecofriendly only at the time of their production because cutting down trees is the raw step to their manufacture. Contrary to this, hand dryers are eco-friendly only during their production compared to their usage or disposal time.
Many companies are trying to produce paper towels in a renewable way, for example, by recycling used paper, paper towels, clothing, or any other disposed-off material that makes it possible.
Disposing of paper towels is also much more eco-friendly because they can either be recycled or, if buried underground, they would easily degrade. If hand dryers are made up of plastic, properly disposing of them would be extremely difficult because even if you bury the plastic underground, it will take thousands of years to degrade.
This would make paper towels a more acceptable option in terms of Environmentally friendly.
Hygiene
Although with its touch-free method, hand dryers may seem like they are incredibly hygienic, studies prove otherwise. In-depth research has shown that hand dryers cause germs from the bathroom to land back on your hands after you are done washing them. They not only increase the germs on your hands but also on your clothes since the air is coming out of them at high speed, sending off germs all around and on you.
A study from the American Society for Microbiology published in 2018 confirmed that hand dryers spread bacteria from the air to people’s hands. Drying hands with a paper towel are much more hygienic since there is no flying of germs but simply cleaning without reuse.
Even those gems that may be left on one's hand after washing are further removed by drying up the hands using paper towels.
When using paper towels, it should be kept in mind that their storage is essential for their righteous use. Moist paper towels or those kept out in the open have a greater tendency to harbor pathogens, but if they are correctly stored, they are far ahead than hand-dryers in terms of hygiene.
Economic cost
Regarding the cost of using hand dryers and paper towels, we can safely say that paper towels are much more economical than hand dryers.
They are cheaper to produce, pack and ship. This makes their regular use way more affordable.
Hand dryers, on the other hand, are costly to produce, store and ship and are also costly to use. They consume electricity all the time since you have to keep them on so that they can detect the presence of hands and start their drying effect whenever you need them to. This makes them rather expensive to use and not at all economical.
Space and style
Space and style are two different outlooks that one would consider when choosing between a hand dryer or a paper towel.
Paper towels don't require much space since they are compact and can fit into any small box to be kept in the corner of the bathroom.
Hand dryers, on the other hand, take up quite some space on a bathroom's wall. They need to be installed in spacious bathrooms, making them unsuitable for small bathrooms.
Next, we will talk about style. Electronic items are more appreciated in the modern era, making hand dryers an eye-turner. In contrast, using paper towels is nothing new to humanity, but considering factors like hygiene, cost, and space, paper towels may seem more convenient. So what can be done to use them and make them look stylish simultaneously?
Well, we have two solutions.
- Simply use an automatic paper towel dispenser. This touchless design can also be a lovely ornament for your bathroom.
- There are more kinds of disposable paper towels available in a variety of materials and functions. For example, non-woven, Pulp (paper) and other different materials, whether biodegradable and other different functional requirements, the specific here is difficult to expand, we will follow up in another article to explore this issue in detail.
Maintenance
Lives are becoming busier by the day, even though it seems technology is a time saver. In such times, maintenance of gadgets does not only feel like a waste of time but money as well.
Hand dryers are electronic items that wouldn't work fine without regular maintenance. Unlike paper towels, which are extremely low maintenance, hand dryers are expensive to maintain.
They need regular cleaning from the inside out and have to be checked by a professional if they stop working due to any inside issue, all of which cost a lot more than using a paper towel.
Drying Speed and Efficiency
By the looks, drying hands using a hand dryer might seem quicker, but it is just a myth. Practically, drying using a paper towel is far more efficient than a hand dryer. Here and there, a few sweeps of the paper towel dry up the hands within seconds, whereas drying under a hand dryer takes about 45 seconds to a minute. Hence, it is clear that the drying speed of the paper towel is much greater than that of the hand dryer.
The paper towel also dries up the hands from both sides easily. Still, when hands are dried under a hand dryer, one has to stand and dry one side and then turn hands to dry the other side, making it a lot less convenient, and even then, a few droplets of water would be left on the hands which may seem annoying.
Usability
Coming down to usability, we consider tonnes of factors and end up finding paper towels much more convenient. Not only are they cheap, easy to store and maintain, and considerably efficient, but they are also much more convenient.
Their touch-free system makes their usability seem hygienic even though it isn't, but it's not like we can't get a touch-free system for paper towels.
The installation process of hand dryers is a lot of work and requires time, space, and money, which is not the case for paper towels. When using paper towels, all that needs to be done is buy a few of them from the store and start using them. Pretty low maintenance, right? Even a paper towel stand can be purchased and hung in your bathroom. It takes around thirty minutes to drill in the screws and hang the stand.
All in all, paper towels have better usability than hand dryers.
Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels: which should you choose?
In a war between hand dryers and paper towels, we can decide which one to choose with regard to the features mentioned above.
Since handlers are not hygienic or convenient, it automatically puts them a few steps being paper towels. Paper towels are comprehensively the better choice given the fact that they are cheaper to buy, use and maintain, plus they are more efficient and convenient. Their ability to dry up the hands faster and to take up less space gives them a further edge over hand dryers, making them preferable over hand dryers.