Why You May Need a Paper Towel Dispenser Key
Most places of work have paper towel dispensers all around. These may be located next the sinks, or they may just be dispersed in case a mess occurs. If you have wall hanging dispensers, chances are they are locked to secure the paper towels in place. If that is the case, you will need a paper towel dispenser key to change out a roll or fix any problems that may arise with the unit.
You can buy a key by itself if you lose yours, but most dispensers will come equipped with one. If you buy all of your dispensers from the same place, chances are they will all use the same key. Then you can carry just that one key around if you ever need to use it.
Dispenser keys look a bit like normal keys, but they are made of plastic or a thin sheet of metal. They are not anywhere near as thick as a traditional door key, and they usually do not have as complex of a notch pattern on them. You may have a key that is simply a zigzag pattern, or you may have one that actually looks like a key would for a diary or something similar. It just depends on the make of dispenser you use.
To use the paper towel key, you will either need to match the pattern of the grooves and just push it own, or you will need to push it in and turn it like a normal key. Again, it depends on the model of dispenser you are using. You should have little issues with your key, unless you do not match it to the grooves correctly. You will notice that early on though.
You can get these keys very affordably if you ever need a spare or a replacement. For less than a dollar in most cases, you can have a brand new key to access your towel dispenser. These cannot be copied because of the way they are made, so you will need to order one form some sort of store.
It is always wise to have a few keys around, especially if you have many dispensers out there. You can give a few keys to your janitors, and the rest you can keep somewhere that they can be easily accessed. If you trust your employees, you may just have the key on a hook next to the dispenser itself to save some trouble. That is up to you.