It’s been almost a decade since we sold our 1st hand dryer to a school so it’s safe to say that we know a little when it comes to selecting the perfect hand dryer 1st time. It may or may not come as a shock when we tell you that It’s not a 1 size fits all device. There are different factors that you need to consider and there are many things that can go wrong.
Picture this, you install new hand dryers for your school whilst the children are on a half-term break. You test them out and they are great! Feeling happy with yourself having made the move from paper towels that end up on the floor or blocking the toilet you can’t wait to see them in use!
The children return from their holidays and that’s when the reality kicks in – what you thought was a straightforward purchase turns out to be the exact opposite!
You know all too well that when it comes to children you need to plan for every scenario. Purchasing a hand dryer is no different.
The very 1st question that we would ask if you were to call us for advice would be.
‘How old are the children that will be using the dryer? This is why…
Volume
One of the main things that puts young children off drying their hands is a hand dryer that sounds like a rocket taking off with a force that feels like it going to blow them off their feet. They will do everything that they can to avoid the dryer. They won’t wash their hands, or they won’t dry them. This is probably worse than not washing them as their wet warm hands will become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
Let’s assume that you’ve already thought the volume pitfall through, so you go for a super quiet hand dryer. This then gives you yet another headache.
Drying time
Most dryers that are very quiet will take up to 2-3 minutes to completely dry hands. Can you imagine the children standing in front of a hand dryer for 1 minute, let alone 2-3? So, what do they do? They walk away with wet hands breeding germs and bacteria.
Temperature
Some dryers that are very quiet can only really dry hands with intense heat as the airflow is so feeble. This is a particular problem as the heat can touch parts of the children’s body that are not wet such as wrists or forearms. When this intense heat comes into contact with dry skin it can burn.
We appreciate that not all web surfing is done when we are at hand to pick up the phone and assist. With this in mind, we have carefully selected a hand full of hand dryers that have been tried and tested with different age groups of children.
Unsure which hand dryer is best suited for your school? Get in touch with one of our experts on 0800 002 9678.
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