Increased hygiene is one of the greatest benefits of installing all-in-one handwashing and drying stations as these products are designed specifically to reduce water and bacteria spread to enhance cleanliness.
From a hygiene and usability standpoint, the biggest driver outside of the aesthetic is making sure everything is contained without users having to move their feet, Vogel says. This limits the amount of water splashing on the ground and the number of bacteria that can be spread onto the side deck.
The experience is overall cleaner for the user as well because the entire handwashing process is taking part in the basin. A touchless product where users can wash, rinse and dry their hands all at the one station helps to eliminate unnecessary touch points in the restroom, which reduces the spread of germs. DeGray says that a study from the University of Auckland in New Zealand found that wet hands are 1,000 times more likely to spread germs than dry hands.
“By having something like this with a quick 14 second dry time from a hand dryer, it helps dry their hands quickly to ensure that less germs are getting spread,” he adds.
Sloan is even seeing interest in incorporating their all-in-one product with baby changing stations, so that users have one clean space for all their needs.
“You want someone to be able to wash their hands, have a good experience, not get water all over themselves, but with these family restrooms that are being introduced more and more, we also can offer a cleanly place for you to change your diaper, set some of your stuff down, whatever it may be,” says Vogel.
All-in-one handwashing and drying products are easy to maintain and greatly reduce the overall maintenance needs in restrooms. With all the essential components in one product, maintenance staff can change the soap, the dryer’s HEPA filter, and even the batteries all in one place, making it easier to schedule maintenance and save time.
“It's kind of one central point,” Vogel says. “Everything that goes on above the sink is located directly underneath the sink, so it saves a lot more time.”
Bradley Company’s all-in-one product utilizes a multi-feed soap dispenser system, where the soap is refilled from a port on top of the sink that supplies soap to up to three units at a time. Their all-in-one product is also equipped with sensor technology that alerts facility staff if soap is low and to prevent overflow and LED lights on the front of the sink to indicate whether things are in working order or need to be serviced.
“It'll tell you if soap is at 80 percent capacity by not only flashing an LED, but also there's an audible,” Keeler says. “We call it a chirp, so it'll let you know that you're getting near the top, and then that way you don't overfill the soap.”
Amy Wunderlin is a freelance writer based in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
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