Many types of occupations require employees to have good personal hygiene practices such as washing their hands after using the restroom and/or before handling food. To dry hands, companies can choose between stocking paper towels near sinks or installing electric hand dryers.
Just as any other piece of equipment, hand dryers require regular maintenance to work properly and reduce the spread of germs. Here are five tips for maintaining and cleaning hand dryers.
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Unplug Unit
The insides of electric hand dryers need to be accessed and cleaned to remove dust and debris. Some models will involve changing filters and cleaning water collection units. However, no matter what type of hand dryers your company uses, they should be unplugged from their power source before work is done on them so that the job is safer for the maintenance technician.
Internal Cleaning
When cleaning the inside of a hand dryer, remove the cover using the key that was supplied when the units were bought. The motors of some units will require removal so disconnect the leads from the unit’s circuit board and unscrew the motor from its mount.
Take out the motor, then use a soft cloth to wipe off the dust. Inside the unit, use a brush to clean the grilles and the element and remove dust from the fan. Be gentle when cleaning the fan as it is carefully balanced.
If it has a water collection unit, empty it and wash it out to remove germs. After cleaning, replace the motor, plug in the leads, and then replace the cover and finish cleaning it. The frequency of cleanings will depend on how many people use the dryers per day but it should be done at least every three months.
Replacing Filters
Just as any other type of air filter, the ones in electric hand dryers should be replaced regularly. Depending on the amount of traffic in restrooms, changing the filters should be done every three to six months. If you are considering an upgrade of your dryers, you can research the best place for hand dryers online.
External Cleaning
The covers and external parts on hand dryers should be cleaned with a soft cloth and some warm water. Then use a dry cloth to wipe off excess water so it will dry faster.
It’s also important to clean the wall where each unit is mounted and keep the floor mopped as well. External cleaning should be done every evening to keep the area free from bacteria or viruses passed from customers or other employees who may have touched the units.
Regular Inspections
Hand dryers should be tested and inspected once every 12 months or every six months for public restrooms with high traffic flow. This will help ensure that they are working efficiently to reduce the spread of germs after people dry their hands and to keep from using too much energy when operating.
Using electric hand dryers in restrooms can help your business reduce costs and help keep your public restrooms cleaner.