My New Business- Hygienic Handles- Exit Bathrooms without touching the Handle

[Cold Fusion]

Hey so i have Just started a new business, would be great to hear peoples feedback!

One thing people hate when exiting the bathroom is touching the dirty (sometimes wet) door handles, the Hygienic Handle is a Foot operated handle so now there is no need to touch anything with your clean hands!

The website is http://www.hygienichandles.com.au is where you can read about the benefits and there is a video showing exactly how it is attached and how to use this simple device

If you know anyone who would be interested in this new product please let them know about it!

Thanks

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/550e506ae4b010610918cdc7/t/556d6822e4b0970bf67dce97/1433233445603/?format=500w

[mr_mike]

Do you have a wheelchair option for disabled toilets?

[Cold Fusion]

unfortunately not yet.

For Disabled toilets there is just one entrance door, so they need to have a locking mechanism attached, so regardless they will need to touch the lock, and its foot operated so its basically impossible for people in Wheelchairs.

My product is for the Entrance/Exit doors with no latch (which is what you see in most offices/restaurants/pubs)

I have a contact for foot operated locks for the cubicles but im still working on it for now!

[shifted]

This was being discussed on here a couple years back from memory, recall seeing the photo.

May be worth while getting in touch with building managers like JLL etc and offering them a package for the buildings they manage?

[Niva]

if someone is coming in as your leaving this removes the buffer zone for copping a door edge to the face. and you look like a poof not touching the door.

that being said I wish your venture all the luck in the world, I'm just being a pingpingpingping cos I'm too lazy to be this productive

[hako]

Pretty sure every public bathroom user has wished for something like this. Well done for actually producing something, hope it takes off.

[Cold Fusion]

thanks for the advice shifted that sounds like a great idea! The hardest part about this product is getting people aware of it to begin with, its the owners choice to pay to have them and im finding it hard to get in contact with some of them

cheers Hako. I hope it takes off too! Ive had heaps of interest so far so i guess time will tell!

[Turboesky]

Maybe keep an eye out for Building expo's and shows. Might be able to setup a stall and advertise your product. Also a good place to meet people and maybe open some new doors.

[huggy_b]

Maybe keep an eye out for Building expo's and shows. Might be able to setup a stall and advertise your product. Also a good place to meet people and maybe open some new doors.

Just don't open the doors with your hands. Take it a step further and deliberately don't shake people hands to emphasize the point they are a hive of germs......it'll become your signature.
I accept royalties in the form of cash cheques posted quarterly.

[Fukushima]

I'll keep using paper towel and throwing it on the floor until we get rid of the stupid doors and adopt the right angle doorless entrance like every other civilised country

[Lonewolf]

personally i just harden the fuck up and open the door

Can see this being of appeal to others though, good luck with it

[1SPRINT]

What if it's a handle you need to turn ?

[Fukushima]

personally i just harden the fuck up

I've never heard this from someone that eschews rear wheel drive, meat and alcohol

I like it

[Lonewolf]

hey, i love meat! :D

Do you guys use these too?
http://www.trashsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/covertoiletbowl.jpeg

[thommo]

great idea

still does my head that people turn off mixer taps with their hands that they have just cleaned, defeats the purpose of cleaning them. Use your arm/elbow

[Fukushima]

I know I was just having a giggle ;)

[siladee]

Pm me if you want me to put you in contact with some door hardware suppliers who may be able to stock your product

[huggy_b]

Forget door suppliers IMO. Most people will not spec the unit as a $80 fixture on door (possibly more). Equally the door manufacturers / suppliers wont absorb it into their costs, just too high. Plus a wholesaler / installer won't be paying retail pricing because they need to make money as well so your profit margin will drop and you'll need to rely on volume (which in all honesty doesn't exist - a 20 storey building will have about 40 to 60 units total. Even at full retail it's a $5000 sale).

If it was me, I'd be trying to get in on ground floor so to speak. You need to get the units specified by consultants and designers. Once you get that secured on a number of new builds, then you'll start seeing that as building owners see these they will engage you to supply their other buildings they manage. Think Jones Laing Lasaille, Knight Frank etc and shopping centres like Lend Lease and Stoxkland. Also the new hospitals (Fiona Stanley, new children's hospital and Midland Health Campus) would be good targets because as we know hygiene is paramount. Not sure how you'd go about arranging a meeting for that or who with? Possibly a state government department but anything government will be a long, drawn out and tedious process.
Also fitout groups would be a good target as well when they are re-doing office spaces around the city.

The other thing to consider is how much clients will need to modify their existing infrastructure to accommodate the unit as that will be an added cost to them.

Hopefully a bit helpful and some food for thought.

[protecon]

This place sells the same ideas > http://www.restroomdirect.com/sanitary-door-openers.aspx

So does this one > http://www.thetoepener.com/

The best toilet doors are either automatic (sliding) or non-existent.

[Cold Fusion]

haha nice pun there turboesky! in the future i hope to have a stall setup with a stand-alone door with my product on it. that way people can see it/use it/ see how simple and effective it is.

the current price is 80 each and then 30 for install, which goes down when buying multiples (most places would have at least 4 doors for male/female toilets) which i believe its decently priced for Perth markets.

I am a leading hand for my full-time job and currently work at St john of god in Murdoch and they are interested in these (ironically we are doing 3 levels of bathroom revamps) and they have passed it onto their architects and consultants, so hopefully it will spread from 3 bathrooms to all of SJOG then to Fiona stanley across the road.

It would be great to have them as a standard for new doors as you are saying huggy_b, the good thing about these is they meet Australian standards and dont stick out very far (no trip hazard or anything) they also have rubber stops on them so act as a door stop aginat walls

I have seen those as well Protecon, i had a look at all of the "hands free" market before i got onto the product im selling, which i think is the best out of all of them, I think its easier to step onto the device rather than put your foot underneath it.

Thanks for the feedback and ideas! alot of people would think like you lonewolf, but its still not a nice going to the bathroom, seeing someone not wash their hands and then exit using the same way you will shortly after! or touching the handle and it being soaked!

[protecon]

I think the product would be a lot more credible if they'd left the auto-closer still attached to the door in the video.
Most toilet doors need quite a bit of force to open, and using your foot just puts you off-balance - in an environment where the floor may be wet/slippery, this has massive legal risk for people hurting themselves.

Not trying to rain on your idea - there's just legitimate reasons why this idea (that's been around a while) hasn't taken off - including those mentioned by others above.

[Cold Fusion]

yeah it is disappointing about that particular door not having the closing mechanism on, Although the closing mechanism doesn't make it much harder to open. when i do install these i check the door closer, some are quick to close so i slow it down a bit so its easier to exit

I have used these before i started with them (Installed it on one of my solid-core doors and took out the latch, was quite a heavy door) and it was fine, no balance issues because the device can take your weight, my whole family had a go and they didnt have any concerns,