Continuing with my (boring to some persons) series on the myriad ways that modern life is made cleaner, more healthy, and more pleasant by devices that are so common that we take them for granted, here’s another ingenious way that our lives are cleaned by capitalism: one of many designs of paper-towel dispenser that requires users to touch only the freshly dispensed towels. Several inches of clean paper towel are dispensed simply by waving a hand in front of the cute little light located at the bottom of the dispenser.
By the way, inexpensive paper towels are, in and of themselves, quite the cleaning achievement!
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I’m not bored, Don! Keep it coming.
Ditto. Keep ‘em coming.
Now for the funny part.
Our machines were recently converted to brown paper, with a sticker proudly announcing “60% recycled content!”
Which is fine, except the paper is fairly slick and non-absorbent, forcing me to use three sheets instead of one to dry my hands.
So in the process, we are, on average, saving no more trees. (I’m going to assume that some people are using only two sheets instead of three — and I have yet to meet anyone who uses only one of the brownsheets.)
A collorary to the toilets that use less water per flush, but require two or three flushes to accomplish the task.
I figured out the trick with low flush toilets.
For liquid and a bit of TP, just flush, for larger flushing problems, hold the handle down till proper flushing is achieved.
… and they say playing on internet is a waste of time.
Might there be less than a 3:1 ratio in material used. In other words, maybe the old stuff used more paper to make one sheet than the new stuff.
Another aside.
While you’re at it, the touchless toilets are a nice addition as well.
However, in my office, one of the stalls has a “hyperactivity problem.” Any adjustment on the seat causes it to flush, wasting precious water.
The solution, of course, is to tear off a length of tissue and drape it over the sensor, preventing premature release. Once you are finished with business, it’s a simple matter to remove the tissue and allow the flushing to commence.
In a perverse way, what we’ve done in that case is replace the potential health hazard of a bacteria-infested handle with disposable paper handles.
Until we can get someone in custodial to calibrate the sensor.
we have the exact same hyperactivity problem with the automatic flush sensors at our office.
Last year, we had them replaced with dual-flush flush valves. Pull up for liquids (uses 1 gallon – same as a urinal) and push down for solids (uses 1.6 gallon). Now days, the handles are even made out of bacteria resistant plastic which is nice.
Usage of dual flush valves is common sense conservation. They are already common in many countries throughout the world where water is more scarce than it is in most parts of America. I am from the west where it seems every year there is a drought so I think that common sense conservation such as this is a good thing.
A very funny video on paper towels: Certainly things we take for granted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfdoLBni4zA
Youtube’s giving a “This video is private” message.
I love the automatic towel dispensers.
Ok Ok, guys, get a grip. Don’s post was about paper towels, not flushing. Flushing was covered long time ago.
Don,
Those cute little lights that you wave your hand in front of to get a towel, guess what, amigo. The machine doesn’t care. It will give you a towel if it is in the mood, and if it ain’t, you can suck wind till the cows come home, and you ain’t gonna get a towel!
Maybe I just deal with Texas machines and they, like the rest of Texas, can be contrary.
Don’t go the China Bear Chinese Buffet on 59 S. from Houston to Sugarland and expect the towel dispenser to the right of the sinks to give you a damn thing till it is good and ready! LOL.
I once stopped, in their restroom, to comb my windblown white hair, and my wiggling elbow produced about ten feet of paper towel, because that machine liked my elbow more than my hand.
Gotta love progress and capitalism, but I have to say sometimes we over- think ourselves.
I once read of a genius in California, maybe muirduck, who announced his invention of a toilet seat lifter. It was a mechanical device that when stepped on lifted the lid so that one did have to touch the seat.
I thought, and just what did God give me a toe for, especially when that toe is encased in a boot or sneaker? It is interesting to know that there are people so dull that it never occurs to them to simply use a toe to lift a toilet seat.
God, I love it! And, muirduck thinks it is reasonable that I contribute to those people’s long lives and fertility? Ouch.