Keeping Germs at Bay while EXCEL-erating into the New Normal

Nearly half of Americans are vaccinated and while the Delta variant has some of the country masking up again indoors and in large venues, kids have gone back to school and the sports and entertainment industry are back to hosting live events. With reopening and embracing our newfound normal at the top of everyone’s mind, ongoing health protection should also still be a major priority. Keeping germs and bacteria at bay starts with your hands and knowing the right way to wash AND dry your hands is a crucial part of the process.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared the following guidelines on handwashing to help ensure you are doing it the right way:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold). Turn off the tap and apply soap to your hands.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands thoroughly using a clean towel or air dry them.

Completing each step is important to successfully kill the germs and bacteria on your skin, including completely drying your hands since wet hands are 1,000 times more likely to transfer and pick up germs than dry ones. 

Fast and Thorough Handwashing

Many people don’t take the time to properly wash and dry their hands, often rushing through a quick rinse and wiping their hands on their pants, picking up more germs. XLERATOR Hand Dryers help speed up the hand drying process without sacrificing hygiene. The XLERATOR can fully dry hands in just eight seconds per the Global UL Environment PCR testing standards.

For an added level of protection, XLERATOR Hand Dryers equipped with HEPA Filtration systems remove 99.999 percent of viruses from the airstream, blowing clean, warm air onto hands to dry them quickly and efficiently. 

This touchless drying solution has several benefits over paper towels including being more hygienic. One independent study showed 17 species of bacteria on unused, recycled paper towels, and this doesn’t factor in the germs that might be lurking on the paper towel dispenser itself, especially in a crowded stadium or concert venue. XLERATOR Hand Dryers are also more eco-friendly, able to dry millions of hands instead of just the hands of one person before heading to a landfill.

Our hand dryers have been put to the test in high-volume situations across the country. For example, at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots and host to many concerts and events, 125 XLERATOR Hand Dryers are doing the work of more than 6 million paper towels each year. Since 2009, the stadium has trusted our dryers to cut costs, meet sustainability goals, promote restroom hygiene and improve the guest experience.

And it’s not just entertainment venues that are seeing the difference in hygiene and sustainability. A quarter of all Americans walk through the doors of schools every day as students, teachers and visitors. Transmission of illnesses by hands is a major issue with children because they are less likely to practice proper infection control and the bacteria on their hands can stay alive for up to three hours. That’s why entire school districts, like The Sacramento City Unified School District and the Niles Township School District in Chicago, have invested in XLERATOR Hand Dryers for the health and hygiene of their staff and students. 

We can help make your school or venue more sanitary and sustainable. Contact us to learn more about all the hygienic options we can provide.