Commercial paper towel dispenser or commercial electric hand dryer – there has been much debate going on about which type is the best. There are actually plenty of good and bad points for both devices, so it’s quite important that you weigh the following pros and cons before buying a commercial towel dispenser or electric hand dryer.
The first point to consider is the costs of these devices. By cost, we are talking about the initial purchase price, maintenance and repair services fees. A commercial towel dispenser is pretty inexpensive depending on the type you buy: center pull, multifold, single fold, lever, C-fold, and touch free dispensers. The average cost of manual paper towel dispensers is approximately $21-$115. Electric hand dryers are priced around $37-$500 or more.
Towel dispensers don’t operate on electricity, so you don’t have to deal with expensive energy bills. But electric hand dryers are more cost-efficient and cheaper to maintain because these don’t need continuous refilling of paper towels.
Electric dryers promote cleaner restroom surroundings and prevent wastage. Paper dispensers are prone to wastage because employees or customers tend to pull more paper towels that they really need – the extra paper towels just get thrown in the waste basket. But touch-free dispensers give out customized towel lengths on specific intervals.
The length of drying time is another very important issue among people. Electric dryers might be cost-efficient, but they’re definitely not time-efficient. It takes about 43 long seconds because electric hand dryers are able to remove all excess moisture. People don’t even bother to wait and line up for their turn with the hand dryer. But paper dispensers are quicker and only take about 12-14 seconds to finish the job.
Paper dispensers are not eco-friendly because of the simple fact that these use disposable towels. As you all know, trees need to be cut down to make the paper towels, which get dumped on landfills after you use it.
Disposable towels are found to be most effective in removing bacteria compared to hand dryers. In fact, bacteria thrive on the outlet of these hand dryers. Since these draws air from the surroundings, there’s a big tendency that the air blown on your hands contains plenty of bacteria, which are the reason why you perform hand washing in the first place.
After all the discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of a commercial paper towel dispenser and hand dryer, the best one would still depend on your preference and current need. Just make sure that you explore your options before making up your mind – visit your local shops or home improvement centers to get a first-hand look at these products.