Aug 15, 2007
Smile Wipes: Wilton business looks to keep hands clean
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It may not be a product that will change the world, but Doug Jones and Joe Spinoso hope, at the least, their customers will have a Smile.
Smile Wipes, LLC, a new hand wipe company based in Mr. Jones’ building at 644 Danbury Road, has created what the two men are calling the best hand wipe on the market.
It’s textured, stronger than conventional wipes, uses an antibacterial agent rather than alcohol and has a banana scent. The packaging, too, is a bit brighter, designed with a collage of smiley faces to encourage children to use the wipes, the men said.
“That’s the biggest thing, can you get the child to use the wipes,” said Mr. Spinoso. “The first thing is the smell, but also the wrapper is inviting.”
Not just for children, though, the hand wipe is designed specifically to combat the “gym germs,” and “fido filth” people’s hands accumulate during the day.
Mr. Jones, owner of Stand Firm Fitness, and Mr. Spinoso, a pet shop owner, met in 1999 when Mr. Jones was looking for a fish tank for his newly opened gym. The two became friends and quickly realized that in both of their respective businesses there was a common concern.
“Whether we like it or not, athletes and animals spread germs,” said Mr. Jones. “Up to 80% of all infections are spread through hand contact,” Mr. Spinoso said.
The two saw dangers in the communal contact at the gym and pet store, and looked for a hand sanitizer to help combat the spread of disease, but couldn’t find one they felt did the job. So they decided to develop their own product.
“We’re conscious we’re not OCD, but we’re conscious,” said Mr. Jones, of the two men’s battle with bacteria.
“Alcohol evaporates in 10 seconds,” taking with it the benefits of the germ-killing power, said Mr. Spinoso. He said all the major hand sanitizers on the market, from hand wipes to bottle gels, offered only limited protection against germs because they evaporated so quickly. Kids, and even adults, don’t like using these wipes either, he said, because “it smells bad and it dries out your skin.”
For years, Mr. Spinoso had been using a product called chlorhexidine gluconate to keep his pet shop free from germs, and after looking into it a bit more, realized the agent would also make a safe and effective hand wipe solution.
“Chlorhexidine gluconate is the only FDA approved anti-microbial,” he said. “It’s used in mouthwash, it’s used in pre-surgical scrubs,” and now it’s used in hand wipes. While the compound may be a mouthful to pronounce, Mr. Spinoso said, simply stated, it’s the best anti-microbial on the market, and lasts much longer than alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
“It binds gently to the protein of your skin and gives you six hours of protection,” he said. The compound stays on the surface of the skin, not just killing the germs and bacteria already there, but repelling others from hitching a ride, said Mr. Spinoso.
Having found their formula, the two men spent a year developing their product. First they selected a hand wipe material that was quite a bit thicker than any other wipe on the market and held moisture quite a bit longer, as well.
Then they set about choosing a scent that would be more people and kid friendly, picking banana as the first scent, though they eventually plan to launch up to nine different scents.
“We had a half-million made, but the smell wasn’t right, so we scratched those,” said Mr. Jones.
Once they got the texture down, and the scent right, they began working on a package design that wouldn’t send kids running for the hills. They figured a wrapper covered in smiley faces would do the trick, and hope it may also become a catch phrase among their customers: “Mom... Brian didn’t Smile after he went to the bathroom,” “Kids... don’t forget to Smile before you eat your lunch today,” and so on.
The two even created an animated movie to tout their product and spread the word on the dangers of dirty hands, taking on roles as Dr. Doug and Joe Germ, to tell their story. Set to the style of a Dr. Seuss rhyming story, the short feature, “Don’t Pick: Your Hands Could Be Sick: The Solution to Your Squirm by Dr. Doug and Joe Germ,” outlines how germs collect on hands, and why it’s important to keep hands clean. The video is available on YouTube.com by typing in Smile Wipes.
Now, with a product on hand, and shipments going out across the country, the two are looking to corner the hand wipe market. While they are working to develop corporate branding contracts with airlines, hotel chains, fast food restaurants, national retail chains and others, the two men are also focusing on their direct client base. On Tuesday, the two were interviewed for the CNBC program, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.
The hand wipes, which come 75 to a bag, fit easily in a car and individual packages may be tucked away in lunch boxes or pockets for on-the-go use, they said.
Bags of the wipes sell for $19.95, with a buy two get one-half off promotion. Customers may also order monthly automatic delivery of the wipes to their home or office at a discounted rate.
Information: (888) 475-7645, smile@getwipes.com, getwipes.com.
(Editors’ note: The Wilton Bulletin office is located in a building owned by Mr. Jones.)
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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