Odds are that you’ve probably used a motion sensor faucet the last time you visited a public restroom at a restaurant, hotel, or airport. Motion sensor faucets were originally designed to help limit cross contamination at sinks. While they are more effective at accomplishing this goal than regular manual sinks, they still have some glaring setbacks when it comes to food safety.
Motion Sensor Faucets Still Require a Proper Hand Washing Process
Motion sensor faucets are a great alternative to hand sanitizers and manual faucet sinks when it comes to limiting touchpoints, but their benefits really stop there. The entire manual hand washing process still needs to be completed in its entirety for them to be effective and since every person is different, the perfect hand wash is never a guarantee. 
With CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations, every user is guaranteed the perfect hand wash which removes more than 99.9% of pathogens from hands every time. It also does this without any touchpoints at all. Each hand wash starts automatically as hands enter the system due to a photo eye sensor which detects the hands. Once the hand wash starts, it automatically begins the 12 second countdown timer and notifies the user of its completion. No need manually to start, stop, or even dispense hand hygiene solution. CleanTech® is programmed to provide a complete hygiene event all on its own. Compare that to motion sensor faucets which only handle water flow for just a few seconds.
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Motion Sensor Faucets Are Less Sustainable
Many people believe that motion sensor faucets provide excellent water savings. This may be true for some people but again, everybody is different. Think about the last time you used a motion sensor faucet. You probably waved your hands over the sensor to wet your hands and the water only stayed on for a couple of seconds which prompted you to wave your hands a couple more times which defeated the purpose of initially turning the water on. Other motion sensor faucets may stay running long after you’ve completed the hand wash.
CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations use 100% of the water and hygiene solution for the hand wash itself. During the 12 second wash cycle, the water starts when hands go in the system and stops when the hand wash is complete so it wastes less water than the recommended 30+ second manual hand wash with a photo eye faucet.
Learn more about saving water with CleanTech®
Many motion sensor faucets also require lithium batteries to operate and while they may not need changing frequently, they will require proper disposal eventually. Soap containers will also require disposal periodically, often into a landfill. CleanTech® utilizes an outlet rather than batteries and our hygiene solution containers are completely recyclable which cuts down on any unnecessary waste.
Download our hand hygiene comparison guide
Motion Sensor Faucets Have No Compliance Tracking
The most important difference between CleanTech® and motion sensor faucets is their lack of any type of detailed compliance tracking. With CleanTech®, managers can view valuable hand washing compliance tracking data right on the system’s color touchscreen display. They can use this information to see which shifts or areas of a facility are washing their hands correctly. Managers can also adjust water temperature and access training videos in order to onboard new team members more effectively.
Learn more about CleanTech® and compliance tracking
Overall, CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations offer a more complete hand washing experience than motion sensor faucets while being more environmentally friendly and completely touchless.
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