Recently I was asked to quantify the energy saving and carbon reduction opportunity from switching a traditional hand-drying facility for the Dyson Airblade hand dryer. BIO DRIER HAND DRYER. Whilst Australian Standard AS1428.1, clause 15.4.3 nominates the height for hand dryers that are provided within accessible bathrooms, it is silent on the design of such fittings. QBIC Washrooms The Dyson Airblade has become a target of the media’s coverage of the study due to their branding as the fastest, most hygienic hand dryer” However, the British technology company has questioned some of the methods used in the study.
What a public bathroom should look like with the Dyson Airblade. In a similar study conducted in 2014, researchers from the University of Leeds found a large increase in airborne germ counts around jet air dryers versus paper towel dispensers. With the air sampling data, the researchers looked at how long viruses lingered in the air after the drying methods were used.
To answer that, you’ll need a bit of background—and for that we’ll have to drop briefly into the odd rabbit hole that is paper towel vs. air dryer research. The Dyson Airblade V hand dryer uses two HEPA filters capturing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses in the washroom air.
Pre-orders can be taken on Dyson’s Airblade V and mk2 hand dryer from May 2013. This virus study delivers further proof that when it comes to hygiene, drying one’s hands with a single-use paper towel is the safest way to reduce the spread of viruses after a visit to the washroom.
A further reduction in noise has been through developments to the level and quality of the sound generated by the Dyson digital motor V4. There’s a war going on for your wet hands, and it’s heating up. Companies such as Dyson, makers of the Airblade, have long complained about the paper towel industry sponsoring research into the hygiene implications of different hand-drying methods.
Next, samples were collected from the air and surfaces at different distances from where the drying took place. The University of Leeds carried out a study which found there were 27 times more germs around air dryers than paper towels. Environmentally, the Dyson Airblade is a winner, as it has the ability to save over 700,000 paper towels being produced and used over its lifetime, which is good news for your business and great news for the world’s trees.
CCTV footage, too graphic to show our readers, is circulating online of Surrey pensioner Alvin Criggdon who was using a Dyson airblade in the toilet of his local cinema. That’s up to 69% less than other hand dryers, and up to 97% less than paper towels (see calculations).
They produce up to 79% less CO2 than other hand dryers and up to 76% less CO2 than recycled paper towels4. British entrepreneur and inventor James Dyson unveils his new invention, the Airblade Tap hand drier, in Hamburg, Germany, in 2013. It also produces up to 79% less CO2 than some other hand dryers and up to 76% less than paper towels.
By far, the jet dryer was the biggest viral spreader in all measurements. Compared with plain paper towels, the jet dryers blow 1,300X as many viral germs. “The jet air dryer, surprisingly enough, is very effective at drying — as good as a towel,” says Redway. Compared to traditional hand dryers, the Dyson Airblade dB produces at least 73% less CO2 and up to 69% less carbon dioxide than recycled paper towels.
The Dyson Airblade is also certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation). This sheet of air acts like an invisible windshield wiper, wiping moisture from hands leaving them completely dry in 12 seconds – a full 10 seconds faster than any other hand dryer.