It was just another normal day until I finished washing my hands and realized I was in a terrible dilemma: to dry my hands using plain old paper towels or a high-tech hand dryer– not that all public restroom give you both options. Some restrooms on campus, like at the Mitchell Memorial Library, have both hand dryers and paper towels. Others only have hand dryers, like restrooms at the Sanderson center. As I dug deeper, the issue seemed more mind blowingly confusing than I had supposed.
Although a vast array of research papers and information exist about which is a better choice between hand dryers and paper towels, it’s difficult to determine who funded the research, and thus the data might be biased.
An article by Restroom Direct (a website for commercial restroom accessories) argued that hand dryers cost .02-.18 cents in electricity per dry, whereas paper towels cost 1 cent per sheet. The article also argues that paper towels are much more difficult to maintain since they have to be replaced and the waste needs to be disposed. Moreover, a lot of times people clog restrooms by flushing paper towels down the toilet.
In theory, hand dryers are also reducing deforestation by reducing paper towel consumption need. Average hand dryers cost between $100-$800. So depending on the rate of usage, in the long run, it may be cheaper to use only hand dryers in public restrooms.
However, the issue is not as simple as reducing costs of maintenance for a building. The question of which method reduced bacteria most is just as debatable. Supporters of hand dryers argue that paper towels may have bacteria infestations. However, an article on WebMD (a source most of us would trust for medical information) mentioned a research at University of Leeds thatfound bacteria levels around jet-air dryers 25 times higher than near paper towel dispensers. The same research stated bacteria near hand dryers remained 15 minutes after use. So, although it might seem more environment friendly and financially smarter to use hand dryers, if the facts are right, it might be outright grotesque to use hand dryers to blow germs (and who knows, maybe fecal matter) all over the restroom.
My observation in all of this is to not forget we all have been on the impatient end of waiting for hand dryers to finish drying for what seems like an hour. Many times we come out of the restroom drying our hands on our pants after using a hand dryer, defeating the whole purpose of the process. Also, lets not forget, if in a hypothetical, non-ideal world, an individual does not wash his hands properly then touches the hand dryer button, you are gladly accepting his germs when it’s your turn to press the button and get dry.
Ultimately, the question for us as a user comes down to what do you care about most? Germs, environment, energy consumption, or cleaning and maintenance costs? If you are a germophobe, it must be a better option to wash your hands properly and then use your own personal towel to dry. If you care about the environment go ahead use hand dryers and hug a tree. Just make sure if you do use paper towels at home or in private restrooms, you are not using more than necessary. Using paper towels to eliminate bacteria still does not address the high cost and environmental issue associated with the debate. So the one solution that may put an end to the debate might be an alternative source of making paper towels that is not as costly and does not require cutting down trees. Is there any such thing? I guess I have found my next great dilemma.
