Hand dryers, hair dryers

Hand dryer and blow dryer: no-contact drying

In recent years, we have developed a healthy aversion to touching things unnecessarily. This alone is a reason why hand dryers are such popular items of washroom equipment. After all, they dry your hands without requiring you to touch them – and have other advantages for hygiene too.

Which electric hand dryers are there to choose from?

Whether you prefer hand dryers made by Air-Wolf or starmix is a question of personal preference, or might depend on procurement strategies for washroom equipment. In general, manufacturers distinguish between the following models:

• No-contact hand dryers with a vertical downward airflow


• No-contact hand dryers that dry hands on all sides in an air chamber


• Wall-mounted blow dryers with push-button and nozzle for drying hair

Every electric hand dryer is activated by an adjustable infrared proximity sensor. It is switched off after a pre-programmed time has elapsed. If the user’s hands are removed from the dryer before this time elapses, it automatically switches off too.

Hand dryers or paper towels – which is better?

Hand dryers and hand blow dryers have advantages over paper towels which are plain to see: they do not have to be refilled with supplies, they dry hands completely in about 10 seconds, and no waste is produced that has to be placed in the corresponding waste collectors.

• What are initially higher costs for electric dryers are recouped relatively quickly – especially in frequently used washrooms. They do not have to be refilled with paper, and no staff is needed to do this job. Your cleaning staff will hardly have to worry about the hand dryer at all.


• In terms of hygiene, both types perform equally well, even though operating a hand dryer requires a little more work. The antibacterial properties of the integrated filters and antimicrobial systems should be checked regularly. You won’t have this problem with disposable paper towels. The conventional wisdom that electric dryers should not be used in hygienically sensitive areas no longer applies to the latest hand dryers made by the Air-Wolf brand, for example, thanks to their outstanding hygiene functions.


• On the other hand, a power source for operation is, of course, required in the washroom, while paper towel dispensers usually don’t need a power socket. Not only this, but the electric dryers are often larger and certain prerequisites must be met when it comes to the installation position.

Incidentally, whether paper towels or hand dryers do what they were designed to do quickly and thoroughly depends largely on the way people use them rather than whether hot air or paper is involved.

For many people, the time spent drying hands under an electric appliance seems longer than a quick wipe with a paper towel. However, drying your hands thoroughly with paper or cloth takes just as long. If appropriate, remind users of this by putting up labels and signs.

You can find even more information in the guides to cleanliness and tidiness at the workplace and to key hygiene measures in companies. If you have any questions about which washroom equipment to choose, please do not hesitate to contact us.