| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1922 | First patent, for the Airdry Corporation's "electric towel", worked with a floor pedal |
| 1948 | George Clemens founds World Dryer and introduces the Model A |
| 1993 | Mitsubishi Electric's Jet Towel blows water off both sides of the hands |
| 2006 | Dyson Airblade launches in the UK |
Manufacturers claim cost savings of up to 99.5% compared with paper towels, and Dyson claims its Airblade is 97% more cost-effective than towels. Independent comparisons are more modest: one study found hand dryers used 5% less energy than paper towels in the first year and 20% less over five years. The answer depends on electricity prices, towel use per visit and how long a dryer lasts.