USE OF A HAND DRYER?  IT MAY BE BETTER NOT TO WASH AT ALL

Rubbing hands under hot air increases amount of germs. It is familiar routine when visiting a public lavatory.  After washing your hands, you rub them together under an electric dryer and then, realizing your hands are still wet; wipe them on your clothes as you walk out. Now scientists have claimed that the practice is so unhygienic that it might be better not to wash your hands at all.

Researchers found that bacteria levels increase when hands were rubbed together under electric hot-air dryers. And the wetter hands were after washing, the more likely they were to spread bacteria. They concluded that, while electric dryers are more environmentally friendly, using paper towels is the most effective means of reducing the risk of spreading infection after washing. The problem lies in the fact that bacteria living within the skin is brought to the surface when wet hands are rubbed together.  Also, while hand washing reduces the amount of bacteria on the surface of the skin, it does not necessarily eliminate them.  If hands are still damp then these bacteria’s are more readily transferred to other surfaces.

Dr. Anna Snelling, of Bradford University, said “good hand hygiene should include drying hands thoroughly and not just washing”.

Scientists looked at three methods of drying:

• Paper towel
• Traditional hand dryers which rely on evaporation and often advise users to rub their hands together
• New model of hand dryers which rapidly strips water off the hands using high velocity air jets.

Researchers found that bacteria on wet hands, washed without soap, was reduced by up to 48% when using a paper towel and 38% with the new type dryer. However, when hands were rubbed together under a traditional dryer the figure varied from a reduction in bacteria of just 1.7% to an increase of up to 18%.  Skin naturally contains bacteria called commensals.  Bacteria from other sources such as raw meat can survive on hands and can be transferred to other surfaces, increasing the risk of spreading diseases such as salmonella. The report, published in the journal of Applied Microbiology, described hand drying as an “essential part of hand washing procedures”.  It found that a “diverse mixture of bacteria” survived hand-washing. Dr. Snelling said that while the NHS had done extensive research into the best way for staff to wash their hands the advice stopped short of telling them how to dry them. She added:  “for me as a microbiologist, it’s a bit of an issue.  Drying is the part of the equation that hasn’t been focused on.” The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has found that hand washing with soap could save around a million lives a year globally, reducing the risk of diarrhea by about 47%

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Cost per Hand Dry Towel Comparison

	Towel	Twl/ft	Case	Cost Per		Hand Dry
Towel Type	Size	Per Case	Price	Towel/Ft		Used	Cost
Center Pulls	7.8×13	3180	$30.00	$0.0094	twls	3	$0.028
Cfolds	13×10.25	2400	$20.00	$0.0083	twls	3	$0.025
Multifolds	9.125×9.5	4000	$26.00	$0.0065	twls	3	$0.020
Scott Fold	9.4×12.4	4375	$35.00	$0.0080	twls	2	$0.016
enMotion	10×800	4800	$52.00	$0.0108	ft	1.5	$0.016
Multifolds Brown	10.25×9.25	4000	$20.00	$0.0050	twls	3	$0.015
Single Folds	10.25×9.25	4000	$20.00	$0.0050	twls	3	$0.015
Intuition White	8×700	4200	$41.00	$0.0098	twls	1.5	$0.015
Intuition Brown	8×700	4200	$39.00	$0.0093	twls	1.5	$0.014
White Roll Towel	8×800	4800	$25.00	$0.0052	ft	2.5	$0.013
Brown Roll Towel	8×800	4800	$22.00	$0.0046	ft	2.5	$0.011
White Roll Towel	8×1000	12000	$ 79.00	$0.0066	ft	1.5	$0.010
Hand Dryer							Utility Cost
* Includes waste, loss and misuse

The above indicates that Kimberly Clark’s 1000 or 1005 white roll towels using a controlled towel dispenser is the lowest cost towel alternative.  There are other factors to consider in selecting an appropriate towel system

1. Bathroom decor and fit with dispenser options and styles
2. Personal choice for folded towel style over roll towels
3. The desire to keep options open and select any manufacturers towels

The lowest cost folded towel options is singlefolds followed closely by Scottfold and Multifold towels.  Centerpull towels along with household towels ie Bounty are and have been the most expensive hand drying alternatives.

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1. C-Fold
2. Multifold
3. Singlefold
4. Non-Perforated
5. Perforated
6. Centerpull

C-FOLD TOWEL

The C-Fold towel is oldest folded towel still produced in the industry today.  The C-Fold towel is unique in that the towels are stacked and not interfolded.  The “C” description is determined by the appearance of the fold.  A C-Fold towel is a 2-ply towel, which increases the speed of absorbency and total holding capacity.  These towels are typically more embossed, creating a thicker, softer towel.  C-Fold towel services are the most expensive of all the toweling services.  Market share is slipping to the better dispensing systems of the multifold and non-perforated towels.    

COLOR:                                 C-Fold towels come in white (bleached), natural white (semi-bleached) or natural (un-bleached).  White (bleached) represents over 90% of this market.
SIZE:                                      C-Fold towels typical size is 10 1/4” x 12 3/4” or 132 square inches.
PACKAGING:                      The industry average case pack is 2,400 towels, but the trend in C-Folds is moving towards bulkier, softer towels in smaller case packs.
SELL/INFO:                         C-Fold towel’s is a declining market, as multifold towels provide “hands free” dispensing at a lesser cost.   C-Folds are still the primary towel sold in healthcare, office buildings and country clubs, where premium products are still in demand.

MULTIFOLD TOWEL

The Multifold Towel is easily recognized by the “multiple folds” it has.  During the manufacturing process the towel is folded in thirds.  These towels, like the Singlefold are interfolded and, therefore, one towel will pull the leading edge of second towel out of the dispenser.  Multifold Towels are the fastest growing folded towel in the industry, primarily replacing Singlefold and C-Folds as the folded towel of choice.  Multifold Towels are available from SCA Tissue in four different paper grades ranging from Park Avenue Ultra best towel, Coronet better towel, Main Street good towel, to Second Nature Kraft towels, 100% recycled.  SCA Tissue also manufactures multifold towels in a junior size (Multifold Plus Towels), that when used in conjunction with the  # 78 dispenser are a completely proprietary system.      

COLOR:           Multifold Towels are available in white (bleached), natural white (semi-bleached) or natural (un-bleached).   White, (bleached) represents the largest share of the Multifold Towel market, followed by natural, (un-bleached.)
SIZE:                      Multifold Towels typical size is 9 1/2” x 9 1/4” or 88 square inches.  Our Multifold Plus Towels are 8 1/5” x 9 1/2” or 72 square inches.
PACKAGING:      The industry average case pack is 4,000 towels, but the industry trend for multifold  towels is moving towards bulkier and softer towels in smaller case packs.  The bulkier, softer, multifold towel case packs range from 2,000 to 3,600 towels per case.  The towels are packed in a snug band pack to preserve the embossing bulk.
SELL/INFO:         Multifold Towels fit the greatest number of dispensers, as they can be used in c-fold towel dispensers with adapters.  These smaller towels provide the best overall value for a folded towel service, while the  “hands free” dispensing helps speed up washroom traffic.  Multifold Towels will also require less storage space, then Singlefold or C-Fold towels.  SCA Tissue’s Multifold Plus Towels proprietary nature will help you lock out your competition from your accounts.  Bigfold and Scotfold towels are variations of multifolds and fall into this category. 

SINGLEFOLD TOWEL

The Singlefold Towel is easily recognizable, as it has one distinct fold.  During the manufacturing process the towel is folded in half.  More advanced Singlefold Towels feature an additional fold called a “tab” or “lip”.  This fold doubles the strength of the towel in the area where it gripped to remove it from the dispenser.  These towels are interfolded and, therefore, one towel will pull the leading edge of the second towel out of the dispenser.    

COLOR:           Singlefold towels come in white (bleached), natural white (semi-bleached) or natural (un-bleached).   Natural, (un-bleached) is the predominately sold towel.  Only a small percentage of Singlefold towels sold are white (bleached) or natural white (semi- bleached).
SIZE:                      Singlefold Towels typical size is 9 1/4” x 10 1/4” or 95 square inches.  They are also available in a junior size, which is 8 1/4” x 10 1/4” or 85 square inches.
PACKAGING:      The industry average case pack is 4,000 towels.  The towels are packed in a snug bag pack to preserve the embossing bulk.
SELL/INFO:         Singlefold Towels are “universal” that can be dispensed from any manufacturers Singlefold towel dispenser.  SCA Tissue’s Singlefold Towels are produced with lip and have extremely deep embossing versus our competitors.  Our towels are available in natural or white and full or junior size.

PERFORATED ROLL TOWELS

Perforated Roll Towels are also known as household roll towels (Bounty type towels).  They are usually perforated every 10-12” and are 8-9” wide.  The predominant color is white but with the Green trend natural towels are growing in popularity.  They can come in 1 and 2 ply versions.  Wipers grade material is packaged in this style as well. 

NON-PERFORATED TOWELS

Non-perforated roll towels or continuous roll towels are also known as “hardwound” roll towels because they contrast the kitchen or perforated roll towel, which is loosely or “softwound”.

COLOR:           Non-perforated roll towels are predominately natural or unbleached as they are mainly sold to the industrial, foodservice and education markets, where economy is most important.  Sales of white or bleached non-perforated roll towels are increasing as end-users look for more economical towel services, but still demand the white color.
SIZE:                      Non-perforated towels come in a variety of lengths, 200’ to 1000’ and widths from 7” to 9” wide.  The industry trend is for longer footage to decrease maintenance costs, and shorter widths to bring down case costs.  More and more premium types oon-perforated towels are being produced to capture C-Fold and Multifold markets that demand higher quality products.
PACKAGING:      The industry average case pack is 12 rolls, but case packs can vary from 6 to 24.
SELL/INFO:         Non-perforated roll towels provide the most economical towel service to end-users. These towels provide storage space savings; maintenance savings and cost per hand dry savings. 

Manufacturers of non-perforated towels come from two different schools of thought on how to sell these towels

PROPRIETARY SYSTEMS

Kimberly Clark, Georgia Pacific, Bay West and SCA Tissue produce proprietary systems that will only allow tr products to be dispensed from their dispensers.  These manufacturers typically will lease cabinets to end-users for little or no cost in return for a commitment from them to buy their paper products for a specified period of time, typically 3 to 5 years.  Proprietary products are sold for a premium price as the cost of the dispenser is built into the cost of the paper products.  Prices for proprietary towels can be twice as high as universal systems.

UNIVERSAL SYSTEMS

Georgia Pacific, Kimberly Clark, Bay West, SCA Tissue and others manufacture universal towel systems.  This means that practically anybody’s paper products will dispense out of their dispensers.  Manufacturers of these universal systems usually sell dispensers to their distributors at cost.  The paper used in these universal type-dispensing systems is much less expensive than proprietary systems, as the cost of the dispenser does not figure into the cost of the paper.

CENTERPULL TOWELS

Centerfeed Towels offer one-at-a-time service, and reduces waste. High capacity, reduces labor and refills. High absorbency , means less towels used. Few, or no moving parts, nothing to jam or break. Touch only dispensing towel reduces cross contamination.   The towels dispense out of the core of the product.  The core pulls out and the towels dispense from the center of the roll.

Centerpull or centerfeed towels come in 1ply and 2 ply.  The majority are white in color and are perforated every 10-12”.  They can be made from airlaid wiper material to tissue and towel based material.  Even though they dispense one at a time this is a relatively expense option for drying hands.  Typically you see these towels in foodservice and food preparation facilities.

COLOR:           White 
SIZE:                      Come in a variety of lengths, 200’ to 600’ and widths from 8” to 10” wide.  The material can vary from wiper grade to 1 ply tissue grades.  The size of the roll in width and length determine if it will fit in competing dispensers.  Most of the time standard widths of  8” and 600’ will fit most standard dispeners.
PACKAGING:      The industry average case pack is 6 rolls, but case packs can vary from 4 to 6.

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