You often find yourself in public toilets where you can use both paper towels and hot air dryers. It is obvious that in the first case there will be a towel dispenser, in the second we will have an electronic device that will dry the hands by dispensing hot air. In both variants we will find various models, from the simplest to the most complex, from the most basic to the most sophisticated lines but still maintaining the same operating principle.
What do users choose on average and on what factors could we also make a purchase choice?
Of course, the presence of both can be an excellent solution but let’s see what the pros and cons of the two choices are.
A 2021 survey involving seven countries and a total of 7063 respondents found that 63% of this sample do not dry their hands sufficiently as hand dryers take too long to dry completely. This means that a good percentage of people who use hot air hand dryers leave the toilets with their hands not completely dry, this unfortunately in hygienic terms is not representative of good practice as water and humidity are excellent development substrates for viruses and bacteria.
Another study also from 2021 revealed that out of 3016 participants, 68% of these say they do not use air devices so as not to contaminate themselves with the surfaces of shared bathroom areas. Covid in particular has taught us how important proper hygiene is, especially in public places and particularly significant from a hygienic point of view such as bathrooms and also how much the hands are the absolute protagonists of correct prevention of the risk of contagion.
Furthermore, paper towels can have other uses, while hot air devices can only fulfill that function. Let’s think of families and of those fathers or mothers who can quickly solve small unexpected events or needs of their children with a sheet of paper towels.
Should we therefore avoid hot air dryers? No, the latter in fact have other advantages and a type of consumption that focuses on other choices.
Hot air devices significantly reduce paper consumption and are therefore a more environmentally friendly choice. Models of hand dryers with powerful motors can dry hands in a practical and fast way, also saving on electricity consumption. Furthermore, if equipped with a HEPA filter, they capture dirt particles, avoiding their dispersion in the air or on the surface of the skin.
The hot air hand dryer will also avoid irresponsible consumption of towel sheets and will save the bathroom from a messy appearance due to the accumulation of sheets mistakenly thrown out of the appropriate containers, thus increasing the level of hygiene and cleanliness in the bathroom itself.
The hot air prevents possible skin irritations by avoiding direct contact and rubbing, therefore excellent for particularly sensitive skins, with dermatitis or psoriasis and for children.
Finally, save on maintenance costs, as there will be no need to add replacement material as in the case of dispensers with towel sheets.
So is it better to use a hot air dryer or a dispenser with sheets? Each of them has its advantages, it remains for us to evaluate the various elements and on the basis of these make our choice consistently with the needs of the users, our needs and objectives.
*United Minds survey in partnership with CINT (March 2021), survey markets: Germany, UK, USA, China, France, Spain, Sweden.
**United Minds Survey in Partnership with CINT 2021, Survey Markets: Germany, Spain, Sweden.
