Scrubba Wash Bag – Washing Machine in Your Pocket – is Lighter Than Ever

Media contact:

Jamie Blumenfeld

Blumenfeld and Assoc. PR

203 655 1600; Jamie@blumenfeldpr.com

IS THAT A WASHING MACHINE IN YOUR POCKET?

It Must be a Scrubba Wash Bag – Compact and Now Lighter Than Ever

Many travelers and campers are calling the Scrubba® wash bag the “world’s first pocket-sized washing machine,” which isn’t surprising given its compact size. What is surprising is that the Australian developer has just announced that the new bright green Scrubba wash bag just got even lighter, now weighing in at a mere 5 oz.

The patent pending Scrubba wash bag uses no electricity and minimal water. It is more sanitary than hand washing in a sink, and twice as effective. It is perfect for travelers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts. For travelers, the Scrubba wash bag means packing less and avoiding airline baggage and hotel laundry charges. For camping and outdoor enthusiasts, the Scrubba wash bag is the only way to achieve a machine quality wash in the backcountry with less pollution to water sources. Its compact and lightweight design also makes it a useful item for gym bags, glove boxes and small apartments.

The key to the Scrubba wash bag’s efficiency is the flexible internal washboard made up of hundreds of washing “nobules” which are backed by a patterned grip surface. To wash clothes, simply add cleaning liquid and two to three quarts of water, seal the bag, expel the air and rub for as little as 30 seconds. Rubbing for a full three minutes is on par with washing machine performance. Like a real washing machine, it even has a transparent window to view clothes getting clean. Rinsing can be accomplished in the bag or in the shower, and then it’s simply a matter of hanging the clothes to dry.

So next time you see a vacationer, business traveler, camper, hunter, cyclist, kayakers traveling fresh, clean and light, chances are they are packing a 5 oz. washing machine.

Conceived for Kilimanjaro

The Scrubba wash bag was conceived in 2010 when founder Ash Newland took a four-month break from his job as an Australian patent attorney to climb Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. Realizing he couldn’t possibly travel with 24 pair of underwear, nor return with well-worn, er, pungent pairs, he looked for a portable washboard to take along – not a particularly convenient option. 

“It was then that I had the idea that if we could incorporate a highly flexible washboard into a waterproof sealable bag, we could change the way people wash clothes while traveling,” said Newland.

The first major step to making the Scrubba wash bag a commercial reality was in January 2012 when he turned to crowdsourcing site IndieGoGo to raise $2,500 USD for tooling. Much to Newland’s delight, almost $22,525 USD was received in pre-orders.

Following this impressive initial response from the market, Calibre8 Pty Ltd (the company charged with the business development of the innovative product), expanded its warehousing to several countries (including the U.S.) to provide fast shipping options across the globe.

Support for Clean Water

The company is also focused on bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries and is gearing up to donate up to $15,000 USD in June 2014 to enable the non-profit organization charity: water (www.charitywater.org) to construct a water supply in a school in Bangladesh. This project will provide on-going clean drinking water to more than 750 students in need.

Watching the Sunset While Doing the Wash

Online reviews of the product are glowing. One traveler tired of doing laundry in dirty sinks, now says he can drink a cocktail on vacation and watch the sunset while rolling the Scrubba wash bag around with his feet. Another writes, “Scrubba (wash bag) means I can wash my clothes quick, simple and easy when traveling. I took it with me for five weeks in Europe and would take it again traveling.”

Still another unsolicited review: “I have been washing clothes in hostel sinks for nearly 20 years and on nearly every continent, and frankly I can’t believe that something like the Scrubba (wash bag) never occurred to me before.”

The basic Scrubba wash bag sells in the U.S. for $ 64.95; an expanded Scrubba travelers kit for $104.95 includes a complete on-the-road laundry system with a towel and clothesline for drying, and a travel bag.

Now the key to traveling fresh, clean, and light is “in the bag.”

For more information: www.thescrubba.com.

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May 19, 2014