Are High-quality Towels Worth the Cost?

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There are a lot of benefits to using high-quality and value-added towels in the long run. In facilities, good hand washing and drying practices can reduce the associated costs related to illness and sickness absences by up to 40 percent. Did you know that due to absenteeism, businesses lose $74 billion and 407 million workdays per year, which represent 15 percent of expenses related to payroll? Sickness absences cost employers about $1,320 per employee per year. On the other hand, presenteeism value is estimated to be three times the cost of absenteeism ($250 billion). These facts demonstrate the importance of hand washing practices in the work place. It is known that over 58 percent of workers report being infected by co-workers. 

 

Antibacterial towels provide a simple and effective way to further reduce bacterial contamination and transmission. Unlike ordinary paper towels, drying hands with an antibacterial paper towel releases an active ingredient onto your hand, eliminating over 99.99 percent of bacteria. These towels also help reduce Norovirus incidences, common in the facilities, and they are more effective than regular towels at removing bacteria. 

 

— Felicia Roy, Trade Advisor, Cascades Tissue Group, Kingsey Falls, Quebec, Canada

 

Low basis weight, low wet strength towels will not perform as well in use as a towel with higher readings in both categories — up to a point. Diminishing returns set in if there is too much wet strength and too much basis weight. The cost benefit ratio can get out of balance and the buyer can lose on either end. Towels need to be sold according to application.

 

— David Shapiro, Senior V.P. of Sales & Marketing, Sofidel, Haines City, Fla.