Since I first entered the lodging industry in 1989, I have come across thousands of new products and technologies.
It must have been around 2002 that I first encountered Excel Hand Dryer’s XLERATOR Hand Dryer. I will never forget the first time I placed my hands below it. It was unlike any other hand dryer experience I had up until that time. The air power seemed jet engine strong and unforgettable.
I walked away impressed, knowing that company owner Denis Gagnon and his son William had a winner on their hands. I suspect you have experienced one of the XLERATOR Hand Dryer models as well.
I recently spoke with William Gagnon, Executive Vice President and COO of Excel Hand Dryer to get an update on the company’s progress. He told me there are now about a million XLERATOR Hand Dryers in operation around the world.
Back in 1997, when he acquired Excel Hand Dryer, Denis Gagnon realized that, in order to develop the business further, he would have to change the way the public perceived hand dryers. At that time, hand dryers took 30 to 45 seconds or more to dry hands. Denis hired some scientists who developed the XLERATOR Hand Dryer, the first hand dryer to do its job in 10 to 15 seconds—three times faster than conventional machines, while using 80 percent less energy. Not only is the XLERATOR a time and energy saver; it also gives business owners a reason to eliminate the waste, cost, labor and overall carbon impact associated with paper towels.
Muddying the Waters of Truth
Speaking of paper towels, there was a time not long ago when the facts behind the hygiene upside to using hand dryers compared to paper towels was muddied. “There has been a lot of misinformation put out by the paper towel industry to mislead and create doubt,” William told me.
In August 2020, researchers at the University of Arizona concluded that there is “no data to support any human health claims relative to hand dryers versus paper towel use.” (Click here to access study.) Proving there is no data to support one hand drying method over another from a health and safety perspective was critical for Excel Hand Dryer. “We chose to back up our claims with science and third-party testing,” William says.
For those who think that using paper towels made from recycled paper is a favorable option when compared to hand dryers, William explained: “People think 100 percent recycled paper towels are the best. They are used once and go straight to the landfill. It is a single-use product.”
The end goal of any hand drying experience is of course getting the hands dry. Wet hands are 1,000 times more susceptible to delivering germs.
A Range of Options Available
The XLERATOR Hand Dryer is Excel Hand Dryer’s original high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryer. It offers an up to 88 percent reduction in carbon footprint versus paper towels. The XLERATOReco Hand Dryer uses No Heat technology to dry hands in 10 seconds while using only 500 watts of energy. It offers an up to 94 percent reduction in carbon footprint versus paper towels.
Excel Dryer also offers a ThinAir Hand Dryer with a slimmer profile that offers an up to 88 percent reduction in carbon footprint versus paper towels. The sink mounted XLERATORsync Hand Dryer is part of an integrated D|13 Sink System that offers drying and washing right at the sink. The D|13 Sink System’s features include HEPA filtration, adjustable speed and heat, LED illumination and a Sound Suppression Air Delivery System.
The XLERATOR Hand Dryer, XLERATOReco Hand Dryer, and ThinAir Hand Dryer all come with Excel Dryer’s Electrostatic HEPA Filtration System as an option. With the XLERATORsync Hand Dryer, HEPA filtration is a standard feature. The filtration system removes 99.99 percent viruses and 99.97 percent of bacteria from the air stream.
Filtering Out the Bad
William says electrostatic HEPA filtration had not been used in hand dryers before but there has been increasing concern about indoor environmental quality. “It is a way to enhance our product and filter viruses and bacteria out of the air,” he says.
As much as William touts the upsides to using hand dryers instead of paper towels, he says a hybrid approach with both paper towels and hand dryers can work. “We support it. You may need paper towels for something besides washing your hands,” he says.
Practicing what they preach, Excel Hand Dryer’s first expansion in 2009 was LEED Gold certified, and its most recent expansion was WELL certified. Solar panels atop the company’s headquarters power all manufacturing for the 55-employee company.
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