How I got started
Monday, April 28th, 2008It is 3:30 am. It’s been a crazy day and I just realized that I am out of clean bottles. Judging by the noises coming from the crib, Maya is in no mood to wait for her milk. As I am standing at the sink, rinsing and re-rinsing bottles, I am thinking to myself: “There’s gotta be a better way to wash baby bottles, without having to worry about the soap left behind, the lingering odor and the persistent milk residue.” The problem is: There isn’t.
The next morning over triple shot lattes (a girl who cleans bottles at 3:30 am needs her caffeine) my friend Tamar and I discuss the matter. Tamar has two small kids and her oldest is highly allergic. We wonder why there are so many products for babies, from special laundry detergents to hair shampoos, but there is nothing specific to wash the very items that go into their mouth; we discuss the persistent breast milk film that simply does not come off the bottles with conventional dish soap; we lament the lingering milk odor….and then we decide to do something about it.
That was two years ago. Since then we have worked with a group of dedicated professionals, chemists and pediatricians, testers and designers, who all shared our passion. We have enjoyed the unwavering backing of our friends and families. And finally we have reached our goal: today we are coming out with Dapple, a line of natural-based, baby-specific cleaners. The first two products are a hand dish liquid and an automatic dish detergent. Besides being natural-based, free of parabens, phthalates, SLES, dyes, and artificial fragrances, Dapple dish detergents work great, smell delicious, look amazing on any sink, and are earth-friendly.
As we are now reaching out to retailers, spreading the word about Dapple to parents, and continuing to solve baby cleaning problems with additional, exciting products, such as a toy cleaner spray and wipes, we just received the news that we won the Seeds for Success grant. It could not come at a better time for us.
The cash component will certainly come in handy. More importantly, the advice of proven women entrepreneurs will help us navigate the challenges of introducing a new brand to the market. They can provide valuable marketing, retail, technology and financing advice, and we can’t wait to be working with them. Needless to say: having the support and recognition of Yahoo! and fwm is a tremendous boost to us.
We will use this blog to keep you posted on Dapple’s progress. At the same time, we urge you to keep us posted. Please try Dapple on your baby dishes, and let us know what you think, how you use it and what other cleaners you wish were available for your household. And don’t forget: If you don’t use bottles anymore - no problem: After all, Dapple works for baby and works for you.
Happy washing.
Blog you soon.
Dana
