Paper Towels vs Hand Dryers: Which Is Right for Your Workplace?

Hand washing is one of the most important parts of workplace hygiene – but what happens after hands have been washed matters too.

Effective hand drying is an essential part of good hand hygiene. This is particularly important in food manufacturing and food-handling environments, where businesses work hard to minimise the risk of cross-contamination and maintain high hygiene standards.

So, when choosing between electric hand dryers and disposable paper towels, which is the better option for your workplace?

For many general workplace washrooms, both systems may be considered. However, in food factories, food production facilities and other hygiene-sensitive environments, single-use paper towels can offer important practical hygiene advantages.

Why Hand Drying Matters

Good hand hygiene doesn't end when the tap is turned off. Hands need to be dried thoroughly after washing. A hand-drying system should therefore make it quick and easy for employees to follow the correct hand-hygiene procedure every time.

In a busy food factory, this needs to happen repeatedly throughout the working day. Employees may need to wash and dry their hands when entering production areas, after breaks, after using washroom facilities and at other designated hygiene-control points. The drying method you choose therefore becomes an important part of your site's overall hand-hygiene system.

Paper Towels: A Simple, Single-Use Solution

Disposable paper towels have one significant advantage: each user takes a fresh towel, dries their hands and disposes of it immediately. There is no shared fabric towel and no requirement to place freshly washed hands into or around an electrical drying unit.

For food factories looking to maintain controlled hygiene procedures, this simple single-use process can make paper towels particularly attractive. Paper towels also physically remove moisture from the hands through the drying action. And because the used towel is immediately disposed of, the process is straightforward for employees to understand and follow.

What About Electric Hand Dryers?

Electric hand dryers are commonplace in offices, public washrooms and many other environments. They can reduce the need to continually replenish paper products and eliminate the waste associated with used paper towels. However, a food-production environment has different considerations from a typical office washroom.

Hand dryers rely on moving air to dry the hands. In hygiene-sensitive areas, businesses may prefer to avoid unnecessary air movement and choose a drying method that contains the process to the individual user. There is also the practical question of where the dryer is positioned. Food manufacturers need to consider whether air movement from the unit could be undesirable within the surrounding environment, particularly around entrances to production or other hygiene-controlled areas. For this reason, a solution that might be perfectly suitable for a general office washroom isn't automatically the best choice for a food-manufacturing site.

Why Paper Roll Towels Work Well in Food Factories

For high-volume environments, disposable paper roll towel systems offer a useful balance between hygiene, capacity and cost control. A suitable dispenser protects the unused roll while dispensing fresh paper to each user.

Controlled-dispensing systems can also provide a measured amount of paper per use, helping businesses manage consumption while still giving employees an effective way to dry their hands. This can be particularly useful in food factories with large numbers of employees passing through hygiene stations throughout a shift.

The benefits can include:

• Single-use drying – fresh paper is used by each employee and then discarded.
• Effective moisture removal – paper physically dries the hands rather than relying solely on moving air.
• No forced-air drying – useful where minimising unnecessary air movement is preferred.
• Simple hygiene procedure – wash, dry and dispose.
• High-capacity options – paper roll systems can accommodate busy food-production environments.
• Controlled consumption – appropriate dispensers can help reduce unnecessary paper usage.
• Easy monitoring – cleaning teams can quickly identify when dispensers need replenishing.

Paper Towels Still Need to Be Managed Properly

Choosing paper towels doesn't automatically create a good hand-hygiene system. Dispensers need to be kept stocked and maintained, and sufficient waste facilities should be positioned nearby so used towels can be disposed of immediately. Sites should also select a paper towel and dispenser combination appropriate for the number of employees using the facility. A dispenser that constantly runs empty will undermine even the best hand-hygiene procedure. That's why high-capacity roll towel systems can be particularly useful in busy manufacturing environments.

Don't Forget the Dispenser

The paper itself is only half of the system. A good dispenser should make paper readily available while helping protect unused towels before use.

For high-traffic environments, consider:

• Dispenser capacity
• Controlled sheet dispensing
• Ease of replenishment
• Robustness
• Compatibility with your chosen paper rolls
• Ease of cleaning
• Visibility of remaining stock
• Choosing the right combination can help improve both hygiene and cost control.

Paper Towels vs Hand Dryers: The Verdict

There isn't necessarily one hand-drying method that's right for every workplace. For offices and general public washrooms, businesses may choose between several options depending on cost, usage levels, maintenance and their individual requirements.

Food manufacturing is different.

Where hygiene procedures and contamination controls are particularly important, disposable paper towels offer a simple and effective hand-drying solution. A fresh section of paper is used, hands are dried, and the towel is immediately discarded. Combined with an appropriate high-capacity dispenser, disposable paper roll towels can provide food factories with a practical hand-drying system that's easy for employees to use and straightforward for hygiene teams to manage. 

Review Your Food Factory's Hand-Drying System

When was the last time you reviewed your hand-drying facilities?

Hygiene Stores supplies paper roll towels, hand towel dispensers and hand-hygiene products suitable for busy commercial and food-manufacturing environments.

Whether you're reviewing an existing system, replacing dispensers or looking for a more suitable paper towel solution for a high-traffic facility, our team can help you identify the right products for your requirements.

Speak to us about your paper towel and hand-hygiene requirements.