Facility managers fitting out a new washroom, or reviewing an existing one, almost always end up weighing the same decision: install air dryers, or stock commercial paper hand towels. It is not purely a cost question — hygiene, drying speed and how the washroom is actually used all factor in, and the research on this has become a lot more specific in recent years.
Here is what the evidence actually says, and how to decide which option suits a given washroom.
What Does the Hygiene Research Actually Show?
Several studies from hospital and food-safety research groups over the past decade have looked specifically at hand-drying methods and bacterial spread, and the consistent finding is that paper towels physically remove more bacteria and moisture from hands through friction, while jet air dryers have been shown in some studies to aerosolise bacteria and moisture into the surrounding air, potentially spreading it further than paper towels do. This is a major reason healthcare facilities, food handling businesses and aged care settings in Australia overwhelmingly default to paper towels rather than air dryers in hand hygiene areas.
Where Air Dryers Still Make Sense
Air dryers are not without their place. In lower-risk environments such as general office washrooms or public facilities where waste reduction and running costs are a bigger priority than clinical-level hygiene, air dryers reduce paper waste and can lower ongoing consumable costs. They also remove the task of restocking dispensers, which appeals to facilities with limited cleaning staff on-site.
Where Paper Towels Are the Clear Choice
For healthcare facilities, commercial kitchens, food processing sites, childcare centres and aged care, paper towels remain the standard recommendation, largely because of the aerosolisation research and because paper towels dry hands faster and more thoroughly, encouraging more complete hand hygiene compliance. Hospitality venues also tend to prefer paper towels for guest-facing washrooms, since a folded or roll towel dispenser is generally perceived as a higher standard of amenity than an air dryer.
Choosing the Right Paper Towel Format
If paper towels are the right choice for your washroom, the next decision is format. Folded towels (slimline or ultraslim) suit high-traffic commercial washrooms because they dispense one at a time with minimal waste, while roll towels suit settings where a longer, continuous towel is preferred, such as some hospitality and kitchen environments. Choosing the wrong format for the dispenser already installed is one of the most common ordering mistakes facilities make when restocking in bulk. Our guides to choosing the right commercial paper products, essential hygiene paper products and office cleaning supplies for Australian businesses go through this decision in more detail. Hand Hygiene Australia also notes that thorough drying is as important as washing itself for reducing the spread of germs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are paper towels more hygienic than air dryers?
Research on hand hygiene generally shows paper towels remove more bacteria and moisture through friction, while some studies have found jet air dryers can spread bacteria into the surrounding air. This is why healthcare and food handling settings typically default to paper towels.
Do air dryers spread germs in washrooms?
Some published studies have found that jet air dryers can aerosolise bacteria and moisture from hands into the surrounding air, which is a key reason hygiene-sensitive facilities like hospitals and commercial kitchens tend to avoid them.
Which is cheaper long-term, paper towels or air dryers?
Air dryers generally have lower ongoing consumable costs since there is no paper to restock, though they carry a higher upfront installation cost and higher electricity use. Paper towels have an ongoing consumable cost but a much lower upfront cost and no power draw.
What paper towel format should I choose for a commercial washroom?
Folded slimline or ultraslim towels suit high-traffic washrooms with minimal waste per use, while roll towels suit settings that prefer a continuous towel, such as some hospitality and kitchen environments. Match the format to your existing dispenser type.
Need Paper Towels for Your Washroom?
Nova Cleaning Supplies supplies slimline, ultraslim and roll hand towels in bulk for washrooms across Australia. Contact us to find the right format and quantity for your site.
