How I got started
April 28th, 2008
It 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
April 28th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I had a hard time finding your Web site when searching google… you need to put it in your blog so that people can get to your home page… good luck!
April 29th, 2008 at 11:14 am
this is such a great idea! thank you so much. i’ll for sure use it. i had the same problem i never found a good solution.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
We have used this product in our home and found thats its the perect solution to safe and sterile cleaning of our baby products without harming our little ones.
we love your product. way to go.
April 29th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
unfortunately i have not had the chance to use this product yet but i am extremely excited to sample it considering 3 month old triplets so you can only imagine how many bottles i have to rinse and re-rinse a day!
April 29th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
This is absolutely amazing!
I was able to get one bottle of Dapple and use it at home…I love it! I wish you the best of luck and really hope you win this contest. There is nothing like this out there and people have no idea what kinds of junk they are exposing their children to when using regular dishwashing soaps. This will be the “google” of soaps when people start using it … no doubt.
April 30th, 2008 at 1:06 am
I can’t wait to have a “green” solution to tough bottle residue! I also love the idea of a toy cleaner, good luck developing it! Finally, something to ease my fears of the toys at doctors’ offices…
April 30th, 2008 at 2:15 am
Looking forward to trying what sounds like a fabulous and much needed product!
April 30th, 2008 at 2:59 am
This sounds like an amazing product! I wish you the best of luck!!
April 30th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Congratulations Dana and Tamar. Sounds like a great product. I will be very interested in your toy cleaner when that is produced. I look forward to meeting you! Good luck! Karla
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
This is a fantastic product. There is a big need for innovation like this in this space. Please Keep up the great work!
Thanks,
Meital
May 15th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Wonderful and cant wait to try it all…i am loving who you are and what you stand for. I am all into natural, pure-safe and benefical products too! I am an Arbonne consultant…doing the “be your own boss” thing now too! Oh, I must recommend…as I see you are a late night owl too, working and cleaning all hours of the night, (as its 1:30 am and i just came accross your info) =) I do need to recommend Arbonne’s Fizz tablets…all natural “energy” tablets… I had to do the switch! Healthier & cheaper then the lattes, (of course we always do need that warm latte too) =) The fizz tabs are yummy, easy for on the go and boosts you with energy! Let me know if I can send some your way to help you with your late nights. =)))
My family all lives in NY…i will be sure to pass them your way. Good luck!
May 15th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Great idea! I have the same problems with rinsing bottles at 3am! Can’t wait to try all of your products, especially toy cleaner….my baby boy recently had a bout of some fungal infection in his mouth..no idea how many germs on these toys in our home and others. Thanks to you both.
June 29th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Hi - this product sounds great, would be perfect for my kids, when is it going to be available in the UK?
June 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
great work guys - i picked up a bottle on the upper west side and i’ll certainly be going back for some more - looking forward to the toy cleaner - w