How to Maintain Stainless Steel Towel Dispensers
Towel dispensers are an integral part of the basic hand washing experience in most facilities. Naturally, you need a paper towel to dry your hands after washing & a dispenser is a reliable way of holding those paper towels. Therefore, a stainless steel towel dispenser is a vital component & should be maintained as such. What should be addressed during the routine maintenance though?
In this article, we'll detail 4 distinct ways to maintain your stainless steel towel dispenser. These tips are useful for both manual & automatic style towel dispensers so all bases shall be covered. Let’s jump right in.
1. Clean It! (Outside & Inside)
Yes, it’s a tale as old as time. Like with every other piece of stainless steel, dispensers must be cleaned regularly to maintain their hygienic properties. For stainless steel towel dispensers, the process is a little more involved than a quick pat down.
First, the easy part – cleaning the exterior of your dispenser should just be a simple process of giving it a wipe down with a non-abrasive cleaner & soft cleaning rag like a microfiber towel. Remember to wipe with the grain & air dry!
For interior cleaning, it can be a bit of a challenge. Here is a breakdown:
- You’ll have to remove all the paper towels to start off with.
- Use a can of compressed air to clear out all the dust & debris inside of the dispenser.
- As with the exterior, use a soft rag & non-abrasive cleaner to clean out all the interior crevices.
- If your dispenser is automatic, check the battery compartment for any signs of corrosion. Use a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol on the contacts for good measure.
2. Refill Often
What good is a paper towel dispenser without paper towels? Reloading your dispenser should be like clockwork. A few things to be aware of though:
- (For manual types) There is such a thing as overfilling & this can lead to jams (more on this later). Try to keep the # of paper towels reasonable.
- (For automatic types) When you refill the dispenser, verify that the paper towels are coming out evenly.
If your dispenser is also equipped with a soap dispenser, refill the liquid often. Remember to close the cover(s) when you are done refilling.
3. Check the Batteries & Sensor (For Automatic Types)
Automatic towel dispensers rely on battery power so be sure to check the battery life every few months. As mentioned above, check for any battery corrosion as well. The sensor eye also needs to be operating at all times. It’s a fact that the sensor eye can become dirty after each day, so a regular wipe down is needed.
4. Get Out of a Jam
Yes, jams occur more often than they should & this can lead to massive waste. Paper towel dispensers should only dispense one at a time. Pulling out multiple towels is not the intended operation. Correcting a jam may involve opening the dispenser & removing a few extra sheets. Play around with it, see what works best in your case.
With the above tips in place, your paper towel dispensers will be ready to go without a hitch. Just remember to keep on top of it! To learn more about towel dispensers, click here.
