Manual vs automatic soap dispensers: which is best for your business?

Choosing the best soap dispenser for your commercial restrooms is important not just to encourage effective hand hygiene but also to create a comfortable user experience. To make this decision, it's useful to look at the advantages of each type of mechanism. Automatic and manual soap dispensers can both do the job, but which is the best type for your facility?

We'll walk you through some soap dispenser basics to help you decide which option is right for your operations, employees, and customers or visitors. 

To help you make the ideal choice for your business, we'll go through the core differences between manual and automatic units so you can better tell them apart. Manual soap dispensers require users to press a mechanism on the unit in order to release the product. They are the most prevalent type of dispenser [1], so you can find them in many public bathrooms across different facilities. Well, there’s not a single clear-cut solution. Manual and automatic soap dispensers are both sanitary options that promote proper handwashing practices. Nonetheless, depending on your business requirements, you might also want to consider factors like ongoing costs, environmental impact, and accessible hygiene. With a straightforward design and minimal maintenance, manual dispensers are a great fit for many restrooms for a few reasons:

The hands-on operation of manual dispensers make them relatively intuitive to use, even for people who are less familiar with modern technology. Tork manual dispensers have a proven easy-to-use design that promotes good hand hygiene for all users.

Our manual dispensers also come in various sizes and finishes, including stainless steel and plastic, making them versatile and suitable for all kinds of facilities, including office buildings and restaurants.

Manual dispensers don't need external energy once they've been installed, which means you can avoid the environmental impact of battery usage and disposal. Additionally, due to their lack of electrical components, these units are usually easier to recycle when the time comes.

You can further boost your business’s sustainability by picking from our dispensers with carbon neutral certification*.

Since they contain few essential components and don’t require battery replacement, manual dispensers get by with minimal ongoing maintenance. And thanks to their intuitive design, cleaning can also be quick and efficient. When it comes to Tork, our lasting dispensers reliably deliver over a million pushes**, helping you make the most out of your budget. Offering a sleek and seamless experience, automatic dispensers can be an appealing option for many bathrooms due to a couple of factors: Automatic soap dispensers offer a touchless experience, minimising the spread of germs and lowering the risk of cross-contamination. This is especially useful in high-traffic restrooms where many visitors use the dispensers throughout the day.

Boosted inclusive hygiene

The touch-free convenience of automatic dispensers makes them truly easy to use for everyone, regardless of disabilities, age, or circumstances, which boosts inclusive hygiene. That also means these types of units comply with accessibility guidelines, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In the end, there’s not a single one-size-fits-all answer to the question of which is the best type of soap dispenser for your facility. The choice comes down to what best suits your business and user needs. Manual dispensers might be the best choice if you want to minimise maintenance and prioritise sustainability, while automatic soap dispensers may be better suited for environments where there’s no room for even a speck of contamination. When deciding which way to go, think about your facility’s specific characteristics and what matters to your employees and visitors or customers. This way, you'll take care of them while maintaining high hygiene standards. 

Once you've chosen the right dispenser for your bathrooms, you can train your staff with our guide to installing soap dispensers on a mirror or wall. And if you're looking to upgrade your facility, why not discover which accessories can take commercial restrooms to the next level?

*Reduced with certified renewable electricity and compensated for with climate projects 

**Tork Foam Soap vs Tork Liquid Soap in an Elevation dispenser

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