According to Yuhan-Kimberly, a survey of 250 subscribers to its professional newsletter conducted in August found that 70 percent of respondents said they use two or more paper towels when drying their hands. [Yuhan-Kimberly]
According to Yuhan-Kimberly, a survey of 250 subscribers to its professional newsletter conducted in August found that 70 percent of respondents said they use two or more paper towels when drying their hands. [Yuhan-Kimberly]

7 in 10 say one paper towel isn't enough to dry hands, survey shows

81% cite poor absorbency as reason for using multiple sheets

Towel quality and dispenser design matter as much as conservation reminders

A familiar sign hangs in restrooms across public facilities and office buildings: "One paper towel is enough." In practice, however, many people find a single sheet leaves their hands still damp — and reach for another. A new survey confirms the habit is widespread: 7 in 10 people use two or more paper towels each time they dry their hands.

According to Yuhan-Kimberly, a survey of 250 subscribers to its professional newsletter conducted in August found that 70 percent of respondents said they use two or more paper towels when drying their hands.

The reasons behind the habit are telling. Among the 175 respondents who said they use two or more sheets, 81.1 percent cited insufficient drying with a single towel, while 25.1 percent said the towels were too thin or weak and tore while in use. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers.

The findings suggest that using multiple paper towels is not simply a matter of wastefulness on the part of restroom users. When a towel absorbs poorly or tears easily when wet, people have little choice but to grab a second or third sheet to dry their hands properly.

The results carry implications for how companies and public institutions manage their restroom facilities. Posting conservation reminders is one approach to reducing paper towel consumption, but the survey points to the need to also consider a product's absorbency and durability, as well as how dispensers release individual sheets.

Yuhan-Kimberly said it developed its Kleenex Drycell Roll Hand Towel with these concerns in mind. The product uses a manufacturing process called UCTAD, which dries the paper with hot air rather than pressing the fibers together, preserving air pockets within the material. Internal testing showed the towel absorbed water more than 75 percent faster than the company's previous product, and its wet tensile strength — a measure of how well paper holds together when wet — was more than 2.8 times higher.

The dispenser design also plays a role in how many sheets users take. Yuhan-Kimberly said its dispenser is engineered to release sheets one at a time, reducing the chance of multiple towels coming out at once.

An analysis of 22 workplaces that adopted the product found paper towel consumption fell by an average of about 49 percent compared with the previous product. However, the company noted that figure is a simple average of usage reductions across individual sites, and actual savings may vary depending on facility size and usage conditions.

"This survey allowed us to identify the specific pain points restroom users experience when drying their hands," a Yuhan-Kimberly official said. "We will continue working to provide hygiene solutions that balance user experience with operational efficiency."


hong@heraldcorp.com