Are Hand Dryers the Right Choice for Schools? A Practical Guide for Decision-Makers

At Hand Dryers UK, we’re clearly huge proponents of hand dryers and the benefits they bring. We think that they can bring improvements to all commercial enterprises. However, they seem to bring more benefits to schools than other businesses. Having said that, we want to use this post to take a fair and balanced look at hand dryers for schools, and if they are right for you and your situation. 

In this post we’ll look at the various benefits that come from installing hand dryers in your school, and see if they are better than a other setups, such as paper towels. 

Hygiene and health considerations

Modern hand dryers, especially those equipped with HEPA filtration systems, can remove up to 99.999% of viruses from the airstream, promoting a hygienic environment in school washrooms. Touchless operation further reduces the risk of cross-contamination, a crucial factor in settings with high footfall like schools.

However, it's worth noting that some studies suggest paper towels may be more effective in reducing the spread of certain bacteria compared to traditional warm-air dryers. Therefore, selecting advanced hand dryers with rapid drying times and filtration systems is advisable to ensure optimal hygiene.

We have covered this subject in more depth in previous posts. It’s an important factor when looking at making the shift to hand dryers and is worth looking at fairly. 

Cost efficiency

While the initial investment for hand dryers can be higher than paper towel dispensers, the long-term savings are significant. Schools can save thousands of pounds annually by eliminating the recurring costs associated with purchasing, restocking, and disposing of paper towels. Additionally, reduced maintenance and waste management contribute to further cost reductions.

Have a look at this post for more information. 

Environmental impact

Sustainability is a growing concern for educational institutions. Hand dryers, particularly energy-efficient models, offer clear environmental advantages. They reduce paper waste, lower carbon footprints, and eliminate the need for continuous paper production and transportation. By adopting hand dryers, schools can align with eco-friendly practices and promote environmental responsibility among students.

This can be further improved as some hand dryers have automatic shut off – this means that they will only run for a limited amount of time, typically enough time to dry the hands and nothing more. Compared with paper towels which people can grab freely.  

Vandal proof

Certain hand dryers are made with high traffic location in mind, and with this they are built with robustness in mind. They are made from stainless steel, have hidden mounting points and rounded edges. All of which combine to make the hand dryer vandal resistant ensuring minimum downtime and reduced cost. 

Recommendations

For schools considering the transition to hand dryers, it's essential to select models that balance efficiency, hygiene, and cost-effectiveness. Products like the Jet Force Junior and EcoForce from Hand Dryers UK are tailored for educational environments. We have a hand-picked range of hand dryers suitable for schools which you can see here.