Paper, a seemingly simple material, has a myriad of uses. It’s a canvas for our thoughts, a tool for tidying up, and much more. The type of pulp used to create it and how it’s presented to consumers depends on its intended use.

The story of paper towels begins with Arthur Scott. A delivery error at his company led to the birth of the product we now use to dry our hands. This was not a planned innovation, but a brilliant adaptation to an unexpected situation.

The manufacturing process of paper has remained largely unchanged for centuries. However, new ideas have been incorporated over the years to meet the evolving needs of health, manufacturing, and commercial industries. Government regulations and public safety have also played a significant role in its development.

According to a study by The Mayo Clinic, paper towels can dry hands efficiently, remove bacteria effectively, and cause less contamination in the washroom. Another study by The Journal of Applied Microbiology found that jet air dryers lead to significantly greater dispersal of bacteriophage from artificially contaminated hands compared to warm air dryers and paper towels.

When considering methods to dry our hands, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each. Critics of paper towels argue that their use contributes to deforestation and exacerbates the greenhouse effect. However, most paper companies are committed to sustainable practices. Forests are a renewable resource, and these companies are at the forefront of sustainability efforts.

Today, the U.S. has more forested land than it did in the early 1900s. According to the USDA, the total volume of trees grown in the southeastern U.S. increased by 50% between 1953 and 2011. Moreover, private forest owners grow 40% more wood than they harvest every year. In recent news, American scientists announced in early 2021 that they have developed a way to grow wood material in a laboratory. This method could greatly reduce production costs and lessen damage to the world’s forests.

The help of Paper Towels in Our hygiene

Bacteria thrive in moist environments. Any living microorganism will find it difficult to reproduce in a dry environment. Alternatives to paper towels for drying hands often leave residual bacteria and lack fresh and filtered air in closed rooms.

Facility managers and office managers must consider several factors when choosing the right hand-drying method:

1. The number of people using their facility.
2. The industry they are in.
3. The safety regulations they must adhere to.
4. And of course, the budget. 

A small doctor’s office or any other type of office has similar needs. The most obvious place for paper towels is the bathroom, but the area that usually has more bacteria is the break room or kitchen.

For buildings or companies with a large volume of employees or transit between common areas, break rooms, and bathrooms, these factors become exponentially more important. This is especially true for hospitals or the food industry, where liability is even greater, and many other factors must be considered.

Every study shows that the use of paper, complemented with proper hygiene products, helps reduce absenteeism in the workplace. The Journal of Occupational Medicine concluded that a comprehensive, targeted, yet simple to execute hand hygiene program significantly reduced the incidence of health care claims and increased employee workplace satisfaction.

The holder or dispenser that will contain the paper towel is an important factor to consider. The better protected the paper is, the less contamination will be spread. A study from the School of Applied Sciences, University of Wales Institute, states that zig-zag transfer of bacteria between paper-towel dispensers and hands can take place if either one is contaminated.

“The proper drying of hands after washing should be an essential component of effective hand hygiene procedures. Most studies have found that paper towels can dry hands efficiently, remove bacteria effectively, and cause less contamination of the washroom environment. From a hygiene standpoint, paper towels are superior to air dryers; therefore, paper towels should be recommended for use in locations in which hygiene is paramount, such as hospitals and clinics. The provision of paper towels should also be considered as a means of improving hand hygiene adherence among health care workers. Our findings may have implications for health professionals and medical educators aiming to design effective programs to promote hand hygiene practices

Each manufacturer gives the paper its own characteristics. That’s good because you can find any possible type of paper towel in this category, but at the same time, it complicates the fit of the chosen dispenser that properly fits the length or width of the selected paper. For that reason, you often see that when you pull one of these papers, many others are unused on the floor. That’s because the paper sometimes is smaller or bigger than the dispenser it is in, allowing it to be too loose or too tight. Also, some dispensers for this paper are not as hermetic as we would like them to be and leave the issue of cross-contamination as a real concern.

A good dispenser for paper towels is one that protects the paper as much as possible from any external contaminant, avoids cross-contamination, and is easy to use. The most recommended are the newest automatic dispensers and some non-automatic ones that work without the need for the user to touch a handle or area other than the paper itself.

In a world brimming with options, every manufacturer touts their product as the best. Yet, amidst this sea of choices, it’s the delicate equilibrium of balance and common sense that truly anchors reality.

Our mission? To guide you and your company toward that equilibrium. Whether you need further information or want to discuss specifics, feel free to schedule a phone call at your convenience or drop me an email at victor@victorferia.com. I’m eager to kick off a conversation with you.