Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels: Which Is Better for Workplace Hygiene?
Handwashing is one of the simplest ways to reduce the spread of germs in the workplace, but washing your hands is only part of the process.
How you dry them matters, too.
For office environments, medical facilities, commercial buildings, and other workplaces with shared restrooms, the choice between electric hand dryers and paper towels can affect more than convenience.
Paper Towels Can Remove More Bacteria From Hands
In one experiment comparing hand-drying methods, air dryers reduced the bacterial load remaining on participants' hands by approximately 23%. Paper towels reduced bacteria by approximately 71%.
Why the difference?
Paper towels don't simply absorb moisture. The physical friction created while drying can also help remove microorganisms that remain on the skin after washing.
Drying your hands thoroughly is important because wet hands can transfer microorganisms more easily than properly dried hands.
What Happens When an Air Dryer Blows?
Another concern is what happens to microorganisms that remain on the hands when high-powered air is introduced.
Research has found that some electric hand dryers, particularly jet air dryers, can disperse microorganisms farther into the surrounding environment than paper towels. One study found significantly higher airborne bacterial counts near jet air dryers compared with paper towel drying.
That does not mean every hand dryer automatically makes a restroom unsafe. Research comparing different drying methods has produced varying results, and the actual health risk depends on several factors.
What it does demonstrate is that restroom hygiene involves more than simply cleaning the toilet and wiping down the sink.
Restroom Cleanliness Is Part of Workplace Health
Think about how many people may use a commercial restroom throughout a normal workday.
Employees touch:
Door handles
Faucet handles
Soap dispensers
Countertops
Stall doors
Paper towel dispensers
Other frequently touched surfaces
In a busy facility, keeping those areas properly cleaned and maintained should be part of an overall facility-care plan. Even which bathroom stalls people choose can create uneven traffic throughout a restroom.
Providing paper towels can be one piece of that strategy, along with proper handwashing supplies, regular professional janitorial services, disinfecting high-touch surfaces, emptying waste containers, and making sure your facility and office cleaning supplies don't run out.
The Goal Is a Restroom Employees Don't Have to Think About
A workplace restroom should not become a recurring source of complaints.
Employees shouldn't have to report empty dispensers, overflowing trash cans, dirty sinks, odors, or surfaces that clearly haven't been maintained.
And office and facilities managers shouldn't have to continually check whether those things were handled.
For organizations with dozens or hundreds of employees moving through a building every day, consistent restroom maintenance becomes part of creating a cleaner, healthier, and more professionally maintained workplace.
At W.I.L.E.S., our goal is simple: provide dependable commercial cleaning so facility managers don't have to spend their time managing the cleaning company.
Looking for a commercial cleaning company you can count on? Contact W.I.L.E.S. to discuss your facility and cleaning needs.
