The Benefits of Installing Hand Dryers in Universities and Colleges
Educational institutions are constantly seeking innovative ways to reduce operating costs, enhance hygiene, and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. From bustling university campuses to local high schools, the restroom is one area where efficiency, cleanliness, and environmental impact intersect. Installing modern hand dryers for universities and colleges offers benefits that go far beyond drying hands, they provide long-term cost savings, reduce waste, improve hygiene, and support green campus initiatives.
Excel Dryer’s line of high-speed, touchless, and energy-efficient hand dryers for colleges have helped schools across the country meet these goals. Our hand dryers for schools have helped several institutions including UMass Amherst, Longmeadow High School, and the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell, demonstrating how impactful these hand dryers for universities and schools can be.
Find out all of the benefits that hand dryers for schools can provide your educational institution.
Enhance Student and Faculty Restroom Experience
Students, faculty, and staff rely on campus restrooms every day, and hand dryers for schools play a vital role in shaping their overall experience. Touchless hand dryers for campuses eliminate the need for paper towels, reducing messes in sinks, stalls, and hallways. These restroom solutions for education facilities also remove the burden of clogged toilets and overflowing trash bins, which often accompany paper towel use.
Longmeadow High School is a prime example. With 1,200 people entering the building daily, paper towel usage created significant maintenance issues. As Principal Lawrence Berte explained, “With a building that has 1,200 people coming in, you not only have the use of paper towels, you also have disposal and maintenance costs. The XLERATOR was an easy option for us. And our facility managers are thankful they’re not cleaning up a paper towel mess every night.”
Quiet hand dryers for schools, like Excel’s XLERATOR® model, also help maintain a positive learning environment. Adjustable sound features ensure that restroom solutions for education facilities near classrooms or libraries don’t disrupt study spaces, further improving the user experience.
How Excel Dryer Supports Higher Education Facilities with Hand Dryers for Universities
Universities are under pressure to deliver cutting-edge design and sustainable infrastructure. At UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, a $62 million expansion included a focus on sustainability and student comfort. The D|13 Group’s Integrated Sink System featuring the XLERATORsync® Hand Dryer was selected to match the school’s innovative vision.
Tom Moliterno, Interim Dean at the Isenberg School, said, “I was interested in seeing if this leading-edge product is a good fit for this leading-edge building. The ability to have a truly innovative product, even in the restrooms, fit perfectly.”
The integrated design combines hand washing and drying in one seamless unit, preventing water from dripping on floors and supporting a hygienic environment. For higher education, this kind of restroom solution for education facilities ensures that design, safety, and sustainability align with the institution’s mission.
Support Sustainability and Green Campus Initiatives
One of the strongest cases for installing electric hand dryers for schools and colleges is sustainability. Campuses today aim to lead by example to achieve straight A’s in sustainability, showcasing environmental stewardship to students and the surrounding community.
The University of Reading in the United Kingdom, with over 17,000 students and a long-standing commitment to sustainability, set ambitious goals to cut its carbon footprint by 45 percent by 2020. To support these efforts, the university installed 72 XLERATOReco® Hand Dryers after Energy Manager Dan Fernbank compared them to conventional and blade-style dryers using independent research. The results confirmed that XLERATOReco provided the greatest energy efficiency and long-term cost savings, making it the most effective choice to support the university’s environmental commitments.
The same focus on sustainability is evident at the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell, part of the SABIS global education network, where ThinAir® Hand Dryers were chosen as part of the school’s green building strategy to have hand dryers for schools. Architect John Harris of Harris Associates emphasized the importance of sustainability, “Sustainability and environmentally-sound design, throughout the industry, is the biggest trend that we see… Not only in the washroom, but throughout the design of the building.”
The slim, ADA-Compliant ThinAir dryer reduces carbon footprint by up to 88% compared to recycled paper towels according to a recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is Building Green Approved. It also contributes toward LEED® credits and WELL points, which is critical for campuses pursuing green certifications. Additionally, this hand dryer for schools achieves up to a 95% cost savings compared to paper towels. These savings go beyond dollars as they provide an opportunity for energy-efficient hand dryers for colleges and schools to incorporate sustainability into their curriculum and campus culture.
Check out all of our case study videos to see how our hand dryers have transformed various facilities.
The Financial Impact
Schools face tight budgets, and operating costs are always under scrutiny. The right hand dryer for colleges and schools offers a cost-effective alternative to paper towels, which require constant restocking, disposal, and maintenance in education facilities.
At Longmeadow High School, the installation of XLERATOR Hand Dryers translated into significant financial savings. Paper towel-related costs, from purchasing to waste removal, were eliminated. Maintenance staff also saved time and labor, freeing resources for other facility needs.
The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell found similar success with hand dryers for schools. Transitioning from paper towels to ThinAir Hand Dryers improved restroom cleanliness, reduced vandalism, and dramatically cut maintenance demands.
Best Hand Dryer for Schools: A Smart Choice for Campuses
For universities and colleges, the benefits of touchless hand dryers for campuses extend far beyond dry hands. They provide a modern restroom experience for students and faculty, support architectural design and green initiatives, and deliver measurable financial savings. By installing energy-efficient hand dryers for colleges and schools, institutions can reduce waste, improve hygiene, and showcase their commitment to sustainability.
As the case studies show, educational facilities that make the switch to the best hand dryer for schools see immediate results in maintenance, cost savings, and environmental performance. For higher education facilities committed to preparing students for a sustainable future, upgrading restroom solutions to electric hand dryers for schools is a smart and impactful decision.