To keep germs at bay, it is imperative for health care providers to maintain a sanitary and clean facility. That’s why some facilities are revamping their restrooms by throwing in the towel—replacing paper with high-speed, energy-efficient electric hand dryers to foster a hygienic environment that benefits patients, staff and visitors alike.
Today’s facilities have quite a few options when it comes to paper towel alternatives, but many choose hand dryers made by Excel Dryer, the company that first established the high-speed, energy-efficient category for hand dryers. In addition to the original, flagship XLERATOR® Hand Dryer, the company has expanded its product line with three additional models:
- XLERATORsync® Hand Dryer, a sink-mounted, elegant dryer that elevates the look and feel of any restroom
- XLERATOReco® Hand Dryer, an extremely environmentally friendly product that uses no heat technology to dry hands fast using only 500 watts
- ThinAir® Hand Dryer, a sleek, space-saving model designed to be fully ADA-compliant when surface mounted
While these products differ in capabilities and design, facilities rely on all of them for improved hand hygiene and a cleaner, more efficient restroom experience. Let’s explore why Excel Dryer’s products are the right choice for your health care facility.
A Look at the Facts
There is no question that hand drying is an essential aspect of proper hand hygiene. In fact, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that “germs spread more easily when hands are wet, so make sure to dry your hands completely, whatever method you use.”
Relying fully on paper towels can lead to issues that don’t occur when electric hand dryers are in use. Have you ever walked into a restroom and noticed used, wet paper towels strewn across the countertops, covering the floors or overflowing in a trash bin? These used paper towels are a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria and contribute to creating a very unhygienic restroom.
It’s not just used paper towels that help create unsanitary restroom environments—according to one study in the American Journal of Infection Control, 100- to 1,000-fold more bacteria were found on recycled paper towels than a virgin wood pulp brand, and bacteria may be transferred to people after handwashing.
Not only do Excel Dryer’s innovative products create a sanitary environment by eliminating dirty paper towels, but they also help reduce the overall spread of germs throughout a facility by reducing the number of touchpoints in the restroom. Each hand dryer made by Excel Dryer uses automatic sensors that turn the dryer on when it detects hands underneath, fostering a more hygienic facility as 80 percent of all germs are transmitted by touch.
While it’s impossible to eliminate germs in bathrooms entirely, there are some hand drying solutions that provide greater protection than others. A HEPA filtration system is available as an optional feature on some of the dryers on the product line—it comes standard on one model and can be easily retrofitted on others. Results of testing from LMS Technologies found that this HEPA filtration system removes 99.999% of viruses and 99.97% of potentially present bacteria at 0.3 microns from the airstream.
A Hospital Throws in the Towel
Some health care facilities have already made the switch to using electric hand dryers in their restrooms and have seen major benefits. When Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) began its refurbishment program to reduce maintenance needs and improve sanitation in its many staff and public restrooms, it turned to Excel Dryer for help. Going into the project, the hospital was constantly plagued by restroom plumbing and maintenance issues related to paper towels, as well as issues with dirty and wet paper towels piling around and in trash receptacles.
The NMH Infection Control board eventually concluded that dryers with traditional high-velocity heated air streams were the most hygienic option for the restroom refurbishment project, citing concerns that trough-style dryers could lead to unwanted bacteria growth from stagnant water that collects at the bottom of the trough. The hospital subsequently installed over 120 XLERATOR® Hand Dryers at their main campus, meeting their infection control board’s rigorous hand hygiene standards and reducing maintenance problems caused by paper towels.
If you are inspired by Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s successes, or if you are committed to creating a more hygienic environment in your health care facility’s restrooms, consider partnering with Excel Dryer to install high-speed, energy-efficient and hygienic hand dryers. Visit ExcelDryer.com to learn more and to get started.
