MR. CLEAN

(Photo: Scott Bushaw)

BY RICK WEINBERG, CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Since the day he bought his first iPhone, Scott Bushaw regularly cleaned the screen with standard disposable wipes

Finally, one day in 2013, he became fed up with the wet, streaky and sticky residue the wipes would leave on his phone and wondered, “There has to be something better out there than this,” he says.

“I also began feeling badly about trashing so many of the disposable wipes and how bad it was for the environment,” he says.

So he began researching online for an alternative. He found nothing. That spawned his idea for HÄNS Swipe-Clean, the first dual-sided screen cleaner and polisher for smartphones, tablets and computer screens that is drawing raves from everyone who purchases and uses it for its convenience, compact nature and quick-cleaning, eco-friendly effectiveness.

At less than $15, a single HÄNS lasts hundreds of uses, compared to its disposable wipe counterparts.

“I honestly thought something like this existed when I started searching online as a regular consumer,” Bushaw says. “I told myself, ‘It just makes sense that a product like this should be out there.’ When I found there was nothing out there, it was my start for a real-world replacement for single-use wipes.”

Bushaw and his brother, Jeff, immediately began working on a prototype, meeting with designers, manufacturers and investors. After several years of research and development, the innovative, patented HÄNS product rolled off the assembly line, ushering in a new era for sustainable and effective cleaning solutions for electronic devices.

HÄNS’ two-sided design cleans and polishes electronic devices in two quick and easy steps. First, you swipe the antimicrobial cleaning side on an electronic device’s surface. The proprietary cleaning solution instantly breaks apart and lifts dirt, grime and oil from the surface. Next, you flip HÄNS around and swipe the antibacterial polishing side on the surface to remove any remaining residue, making the surface as clean as new.

HÄNS’ innovation and practicality is ideal for any smart device owner — and others agree. Within its first few months of operations, HÄNS exceeded its sales goals by 200 percent.

“As we move forward, we want to continue to educate people as to how dirty their phones can get,” Bushaw says. “There is nothing in history that we carry with us all day long, day in and day out, like our phone. It’s with us all day, right by our side, in our hand, on our desk, by our bedside, on the couch next to us. Everything we’re touching is transferred to the phone. The dirt, bacteria and grime accumulates. So it really makes sense to clean your phone even if it’s just once a day, at the end of day, just like washing your hands. It just makes sense to do that.”

HÄNS Swipe-Clean is so popular and effective that it captured the eye of The Grommet, which discovers, evaluates and selects products across 16 categories and amplifies them to its community of three million people. Only three percent of all products considered are launched on the site.

The Grommet gives consumers a trusted place to engage with the stories and people behind the explosion of new consumer products. It does so by sharing up-and-coming products with an emerging e-commerce shopper looking for meaningful products to buy online.

“Getting on The Grommet was big deal for us,” Bushaw says. “It brought me back to the beginning when we first thought of the product and going through all the difficult times, all the trial and error. Then the product becomes real and you get it out there to the public. Getting on The Grommet validated all the hard work. It was a very proud moment for us.”

The uniqueness of HÄNS is reflected in its Swedish name.

“We wanted to give the product a name that was familiar but unique,” Bushaw says. “You hear the name HÄNS and it sticks with you. You know you’ve heard it before. The product is like that — you’ve heard of cleaning your phone with a single wipe or a rag but the way HÄNS works is something completely new. It’s strange and familiar at the same time.”

The effectiveness of HÄNS lies in its patented cleaning side and liquid solution, which is proprietary.

“We designed it to have some friction on the dry side to remove the grime when it’s built up,” Bushaw says.

The application of HÄNS is not being used for any other application. “It’s completely unique,” he adds. “We created the formulation from scratch through a lot of research and development.”

Other companies have contacted Bushaw about the application and liquid solution so there is a chance he may be able to license the process.

“HÄNS was developed out of personal necessity and has evolved into a unique cleaning solution for all devices,” he says. “The whole journey has been a dream come true.”