Commercial Paper Towel Dispenser or Commercial Electric Hand Dryer – There has been much debate as to which type is best. Actually, there are many good and bad points to both devices, so it is very important that you weigh the following pros and cons before purchasing 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, fees for maintenance and repair services. A commercial towel dispenser is fairly inexpensive depending on the type you buy: center-pull, multiple, single-fold, lever, C-fold, and touchless dispensers. The average cost of manual paper towel dispensers is about $21 to $115. Electric hand dryers range in price from $37 to $500 or more.

The towel dispensers are not powered by electricity, so you don’t have to deal with expensive energy bills. But electric hand dryers are more cost-effective and cheaper to maintain because they don’t need continual refills of paper towels.

Electric dryers promote a cleaner bathroom environment and prevent waste. Paper dispensers tend to go to waste because employees or customers tend to take out more paper towels than they actually need; extra paper towels are simply thrown away. But touchless dispensers provide custom towel lengths at specific intervals.

The duration of the drying time is another very important issue among people. Electric dryers can be cost effective, but they definitely don’t save time. It takes a long 43 seconds because electric hand dryers can remove all excess moisture. People don’t even bother to wait and queue for their turn with the hand dryer. But paper dispensers are faster, taking only 12-14 seconds to finish the job.

Paper dispensers are not eco-friendly for the simple fact that they use disposable towels. As everyone knows, trees need to be felled to make paper towels, which are thrown into landfills after use.

Disposable towels have been found to be more effective at killing bacteria compared to hand dryers. In fact, bacteria thrive on the outlet of these hand dryers. Since these draw in air from the environment, there is a great tendency for the air you blow on your hands to contain a lot of bacteria, which is why you wash your hands in the first place.

After all the discussion about the pros and cons of a commercial paper towel dispenser and hand dryer, the best one would still depend on your current preference and need. Just be sure to explore your options before you decide – visit your local stores or home improvement centers to see these products firsthand.