Hand Dryer Buying Guide – Which Hand Dryer should I Buy?

The Hand Dryer Buying Guide: We look at the Best Hand Dryers on the market and things to consider when choosing and buying.

By Kitchen Gadget Box

The Hand Dryer Buying Guide: We look at the Best Hand Dryers on the market and things to consider when choosing and buying.

Best Hand Dryers on the Market

We round up some of the best hand dryers on the market perfect for your venue, business or home.

OION Technologies Industrial Stainless Steel

A High Speed Automatic Hand Dryer DR-3000HD 1800 Wattsby O-IonHand dryer received 4.1 out of 5 starsSale: $127.95Powerful, High Speed 1800 Watts Drying power that dries an individual’s hands in 10-12 secondsLow energy consumption for you and the environment.Low Maintenance and Vandal ProofNoise Reduction Nozzle — Commercial grade stainless steel

This hand dryer is great for restaurants and office buildings. It exceeds customer expectations because delivers a lot of power that drys the hands very quickly. It is highly recommended for its performance, cost and its efficiency,

Palmer Fixture HD0901-11 Conventional Series

A Commercial Hand Dryer, Brushed ChromeHand dryer received 4.8 out of 5 starsPrice: $219.95
Color Brushed ChromeItem Weight 16 poundsMounting Type Surface MountedOperating Time 30 seconds

Consumers are pleased with the overall attractiveness and performance of this model since it is excellent for being used in office buildings. It works with a hand sensor design and has a strong blower that dries the hands within seconds. Most business owners because they love the fact that it is easy to install. Great for a place that has a lot of traffic flowing through. Good buy for the price that is being paid.

Palmer Fixture HD0903-17 Hand Dryer

A Commercial High Grade Fire Retardant ABS, White3.7 out of 5 starsList Price: $196.18
Color WhiteCompatible Material plasticItem Depth 7-inchesManufacturer Series Number HDMaterial Type plasticMounting Type Surface MountedOperating Time 30 secondsVoltage 110 VoltsWattage 1800 Watts

The feedback on this product is also great since it takes in a considerable amount of things and information. With this product, users gave both pros and cons. One of the pros being the cost of being very affordable and it does the job very well. However, some consumers have reported having problems with the sensor since it can work sporadically instead of on a continual basis. Therefore, this part of the problem can be very frustrating when the person does not have a lot of time. It has received a relatively good review because people like the product provided for the cost that is being paid.

Hand Dryer Buying Guide

Cost and Affordability

Many times the individual that makes these purchases must factor in several different things in order to make the best decision. One of the most important is the price tag attached to each item. Typically, the same is true when a business owner or homeowner is making their decision to buy a hand dryer, especially if they are having to furnish a large facility with its needs.

For instance, if the property owner of a business is looking to supply a large building with 20 or more of these devices, they may choose to purchase the manual model so that they can reduce the cost substantially. On the other hand, if a business owner will only need 2 to 3 hand dryers only , they may decide to buy the automatic models so that they can enhance the looks of the area and provide an easier way for everyone to dry their hands. Regardless to the type selected, business owner just want to save money.

Efficiency

Another factor to consider when making this type of purchase is its overall efficiency. Since people are now focused on going green, the cost and contribution to saving energy are significant factors. Therefore, when the business owner makes their choice, they may decide to choose the automatic hand dryers that can be programmed to shut off within a certain amount of minutes. By using this kind of device, the business owner can save on the electricity being used since it controls the amount of time that the person can dry their hands without experiencing long periods of time.

Do Hand Dryers Spread Germs?

Hand dryers are seen as being more economical as they use electricity to dry people’s hands in public toilets as opposed to using paper towels. Paper towel dispensers need more replacements, may run off every now and then, requires extra administrative expenses in terms of supplies of paper towels, disposals and manual checking of whether the have run out. The hand dryer eliminates all these disadvantages posed by the paper towel dispenser. They do not require checking, refilling or disposal. The utility costs for maintenance is only electricity costs. This article seeks to find out, do hand dryers spread germs?

Types of Hand dryers

There are different types of hand dryers. The manually operated hand drier is among the oldest driers. The dryer is operated by pressing a button on the device to put it on. The machine then produces hot air for a predetermined period of time to allow for the person drying their hands to be done. If they are not dry by the end of that time frame, they press the button again for another time period. These devices are usually considered unhygienic since they require touching the device button to activate the heat.

The automatic hand dryers on the other hand is activated when one places their hands below the machine to dry them. The device has a laser detector that detects when hands are placed and it triggers release of the hot air. Some automatic machines release heat for a predetermined time intervals while more recent models stop releasing heat once the person drying their hands removes their hands from under the device.

The Blow jet dryer is the latest advancement in the dryer devices. The devices were first introduced by Mitsubishi Electric in 1993 and they function by releasing highly pressured jets of air from both above and below the hands. The air emitted is not hot so the jet dryer forces out the water from the hands as opposed to evaporating the water from the hands. These machines are more cost effective as they do not require heating of air and they are said to be 98% more cost effective than regular automatic hand dryers.

Hygiene Controversies

The hand dryers are known for their significant savings and the fact that they are eco friendly. However, hand dryers are said to be better carriers of germs from one user to another. Experiments carried out in both University of Ottawa and University of Westminster, London revealed that the dryers were less hygienic than paper towel dispenser. The findings of the researches showed that The bacteria on the users hands almost increased to about 200% after using the device. This showed that indeed the dryers enable spreading of germs from one user to another. Various experiments have also showed that the jet dryer blows germs up to 2 meters from the device and the hot air dryer blows germs about ¼ meters away from the machine.

The paper towel dispenser on the other hand reduce the germs on the hands after drying and they do not transfer the germs from user to another.

Hand Dryer vs Paper Towels

Hand dryers are technologically advanced to use electricity to help you dry your hands with the help of warm air. Paper towels on the other hand are tangible sheets that one cuts off to dry one’s hands. While both seek to help you dry your hands after washing them, each comes with their benefits and advantages depending on the situation at hand and the needs and wants of different individuals.

When referring to hand dryer, this article will be addressing the more advanced hand dryers in the market. it is very important that your hands remain clean and dry and wet hands are known to harbor more bacteria and other harmful microorganisms as opposed to dry hands. This translates to fewer diseases for individuals who dry their hands.

The choice between using a hand dryer or a paper towel will be dependent on several factors. These will include:

The cost savings on an annual basis

When referring to paper cost, its annual cost savings add up. This is the exact opposite with hand dryers. You will have to refill your dispenser with paper towels constantly. Usage will depend on the individual using it, as some individuals tend to use too much paper towel. However, all factors held constant, there are more savings annually with hand dryers.

The cost from maintenance

Between the two, maintenance is more costly with the hand dryers as the electric system must also be maintained. Maintenance with the paper towels will only be reflected when it comes to cleaning the holders.

Energy savings

Paper towels do not need any source of power to dispense the towels. However, without a power source, you will not be able to use a hand dryer. Paper towels save 100% on energy. Looking at the latest developments, the invention of high speed and energy efficient hand-dryers are proving to save on energy while performing at their best.

Overall hygiene

Both option will help you wipe your hands and leave you clean. However, maintain cleanliness and hygiene differs. First, recycled paper is known to hold more bacteria as opposed to virgin paper. All together, hand dryers tend to kill more bacteria after washing your hands. This is more evident with the use of automated hand dryers, which do not require that you touch any buttons when using them. The warm/hot air they emit kills germs. Even better, some hand dryers are using cold plasma which naturally kills

Preserving the environment / going green

Eliminating the use of paper towels will definitely save the environment by conserving the resources from paper production. This helps to save trees, water, as well as land fill spaces.

Emergency situations

You have walked into the ladies/ gents and have finished your business and washed your hands only to realize that the paper towels are not present. This will force you to leave without drying your hands. The only way a hand dryer will let you down is if you no power. However, many businesses will have a generator or back up plan to run power.

Life expectancy

A dispenser with paper towels will only serve the purpose until the paper towels are finished. On the other hand, hand dryers have an average lifespan of about 7-10 years as long as they are well maintained.

Waste management

Hand dryers will leave less waste as compared to paper towels. Whether it is at home or a business center, you will find yourself cleaning and collecting after paper towels. It is also important that individuals do not flash the paper towels as they may clog the toilets. Clogging in turn will affect the hygiene and maintenance costs by increasing them.

In reference to hand dryers, it is evident that they are more beneficial in reference to being more environmentally friendly and destruction of harmful bacteria. It is important that when weighing your alternatives, you look at the long-term objectives as well as the short-term ones. There are circumstances that will favor one equipment over the other. For example, when visiting public toilets, many would prefer paper towels, which will not only help to dry your hands but it will also take on other hygienic measures such as helping to open the doors. It can be difficult to entrust public toilets. However, be sure to have a waste bin right out of the door to prevent dirtying the surrounding area.

Pros of using the hand dryer

  • You not only dry your hands but kill germs as well
  • There is no waste product after use
  • It preserves the environment by preventing high carbon emissions as well as deforestation
  • The overall maintenance in the long-term is more cost-friendly
  • They save on overall cost of usage

Cons

The air may help to spread bacteria as it blows around the air even that from the toilets. For example, after flushing a toilet, it emits aerosol mist, which is not hygienic and dryers can spread it with air movement.

They require regular maintenance to remain functional

Pros of using the paper towels

  • They are easy to use
  • They are convenient especially for people who are constantly on the run as you can dry your hands even when on the move
  • They are efficient as more than one use can use them from the dispenser at the same time
  • It retains most of the bacteria on the paper towel rather than spreading it.
  • Hey are also versatile so you can also clean after spills.

Cons

  • You need to constantly refill the paper towel dispenser
  • There is a lot of wastage.

The battle between the use of hand dryers and paper towels can go on and on with several variables in consideration. Other factors will come in handy to help determine which tool is best. Ensure that you flash the toilet only after you have covered it with its lid. In addition, it is recommended that ensure your restroom are clean. Avoid wastage. There are instances when individuals will pull out a lot of paper towel just to dry their hands.