Case Studies of eHEPA Hand Dryers in Healthcare Settings
Healthcare facilities are under constant pressure to maintain clean, efficient, and welcoming restrooms. From hospitals to senior living communities, restroom design plays a vital role in supporting healthcare restroom hygiene, enhancing the visitor experience, and helping staff manage busy facilities. As expectations for healthcare hand hygiene continue to rise, many organizations are evaluating touchless technologies that promote cleanliness while reducing maintenance.
One area receiving renewed attention is hand drying. Modern electrostatic HEPA (eHEPA®) hand dryer technology gives healthcare facilities another option for supporting infection prevention, creating cleaner restroom environments, and improving operational efficiency. Real-world case studies demonstrate how facilities have successfully implemented these solutions to meet their hygiene goals.
Why Hand Hygiene Matters in Healthcare Facilities
Effective healthcare hand hygiene doesn’t end after washing. Hands should also be dried completely, as wet hands transfer microorganisms more easily than dry hands. The CDC states that both paper towels and air dryers are effective methods for drying hands, provided hands are dried thoroughly.
Today’s healthcare organizations are also evaluating restroom technologies that reduce touchpoints, simplify maintenance, and support overall healthcare restroom hygiene. Research from the University of Arizona found no empirical evidence that one hand-drying method is safer than another from a health and safety perspective, with both paper towels and hand dryers identified as appropriate hand-drying solutions.
Why eHEPA Hand Dryers Are Designed for Healthcare Settings
Modern healthcare hand dryers are designed with the needs of demanding environments in mind. Excel Dryer’s HEPA filter hand dryer models feature eHEPA filtration that has been tested to remove 99.999% of viruses and 99.97% of bacteria from the airstream before air reaches users’ hands.
These systems also offer touchless activation, adjustable sound and speed controls, and washable pre-filters that help extend filter life. Combined, these features make them a practical option for hospital restroom equipment where cleanliness, durability, and maintenance efficiency all matter. Supporting hand dryer hygiene with advanced filtration helps facilities address evolving expectations while relying on findings from published hand dryer hygiene studies and other research evaluating modern hand-drying technologies.
Case Study: Northwestern Memorial Hospital Improved Hygiene While Reducing Maintenance
One example of successful healthcare restroom hygiene improvements comes from Northwestern Memorial Hospital. As the hospital adopted low-flow toilets to improve water efficiency and support its sustainability goals, it encountered an unexpected challenge. While low-flow toilets are designed to reduce water usage, they are not designed to handle paper towels, which don’t break down like toilet paper. As paper towels entered the plumbing system, clogged toilets increased from one to six per week, creating additional maintenance demands and impacting restroom cleanliness.
To address both hygiene and operational concerns, Northwestern Memorial’s facilities engineering team evaluated multiple hand drying options in consultation with the hospital’s Infection Control Board. After reviewing the available technologies, the board selected XLERATOR® hand dryers, and more than 100 units were installed throughout the facility because they met the hospital’s rigorous hygiene standards.
The results extended beyond improving the hand-drying experience. By replacing paper towels with touchless hand dryers, the hospital eliminated the primary source of clogged low-flow toilets. Plumbing issues were eliminated, restroom cleanliness improved significantly, and maintenance staff no longer had to manage frequent service calls caused by paper towel blockages. Like many healthcare facilities, Northwestern Memorial demonstrated that supporting healthcare restroom hygiene also means considering how restroom fixtures work together, from hand drying to plumbing performance, to create a cleaner, more efficient restroom environment.
Case Study: Seabury Senior Living Prioritized Resident Health
Healthcare extends beyond hospitals. At Seabury Senior Living, restroom upgrades focused on supporting senior care hygiene while creating a comfortable experience for residents and visitors. This case study demonstrates how senior living hand dryers can fit naturally into facilities where cleanliness, reliability, and user confidence are priorities.
These examples show that improving healthcare restroom hygiene isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Whether serving acute care hospitals or senior living communities, facilities can select solutions that align with their operational goals and user expectations.
Curious how other organizations are improving restroom performance? Explore our case studies to see real-world installations and results.
Solving Common Healthcare Restroom Challenges
Many organizations face similar healthcare restroom challenges: reducing paper waste, minimizing maintenance, and improving restroom appearance throughout the day. Touchless technologies help address these concerns while supporting efficient facility operations.
For organizations evaluating healthcare hand dryer benefits, advantages may include improved restroom appearance, reduced paper towel waste, lower maintenance demands, and long-term restroom cost savings compared to continually purchasing, stocking, and disposing of paper towels. Modern touchless restroom solutions can also help facilities streamline restroom maintenance while supporting overall healthcare restroom hygiene.
See how facilities are overcoming common restroom hygiene concerns and discover practical solutions inspired by real healthcare environments.
Upgrading Existing Hand Dryers
Not every facility needs to replace existing equipment to improve performance. In many cases, organizations can upgrade existing hand dryers by installing a HEPA filter retrofit kit, allowing facilities to enhance filtration while maximizing their current investment. This can be an attractive option for healthcare organizations looking to strengthen restroom hygiene strategies without complete restroom renovation.
Improve Healthcare Restroom Hygiene with Proven Solutions
As expectations for healthcare restroom hygiene continue to evolve, facility managers are looking for restroom technologies backed by research and proven in real-world healthcare settings. From Northwestern Memorial Hospital to Seabury Senior Living, these case studies demonstrate how modern hand-drying solutions can support cleaner restrooms, operational efficiency, and better user experiences.
Whether you’re planning a new healthcare facility or upgrading an existing restroom, exploring proven case studies can help guide your decision-making.