The advent of “no-touch” or “touchless” motion sensors is one of the most important developments in automatic hand dryers in recent years, and it may be contributing to the increased use in hand dryers in response to the public interest in more hygienic public restrooms. For example, American Dryer, a company that has been manufacturing restroom automatic dryers for decades, has developed a line of touchless products called Global GX. The touchless dryers turn on with a motion sensor when users move their hands under the dryer, thus eliminating the transmission of germs through contact with a communal push button.
Hand dryers aren’t new; they first appeared in public restrooms more than 50 years ago, but their presence has not been widespread because original air hand dryers were loud, large, and not very effective. But current air hand dryers dry hands quickly and quietly, and many types of hand dryers are available to suit the needs of any public restroom.
