An inventor who hails from Hope has come up with a hand-sanitizing solution that he believes is going to 鈥済o viral.鈥�

Michael Watson and SanitizeFirst Global Solutions Company have created the Clean Clip, a personal portable automated hand sanitizer dispenser. The device is built like a pager, with a clip to attach to a person鈥檚 belt/purse/clothing. At 3.7 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide, it鈥檚 not a burden to carry around, and when it鈥檚 filled with a sanitizer cartridge, it鈥檚 a simple matter of pushing a button on top to get a squirt.

The pump is powered by an integrated lithium-ion battery than can be recharged with a USB charging cable.

from on .

Watson has been busy showing a prototype to first responders, health care professionals and any other groups that might be able to use it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 modeled after a pager, which has been used by first responders for decades,鈥� Watson explained. 鈥淚 adapted that model, and the reception to this product has been off the charts. There hasn鈥檛 been one group or person I鈥檝e talked to who hasn鈥檛 wanted it, from police officers to pipeline workers to nurses and care aids. We anticipate this is going to go big.鈥�

Watson said he already has 9,500 purchase orders.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something you can give to your family,鈥� he enthused. 鈥淵ou can give it to your 14-year-old and he can be rough with it, but you know he鈥檚 going to have his sanitizer.鈥�

While the pump component will be coming from a company in the United States, the Clean Clip鈥檚 injector mould is being manufactured in 91原创 and the gel sanitizer will be coming from Burnaby.

鈥淥ur sanitizer is Health Canada approved and it鈥檚 Aloe Vera and Vitamin E infused,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 actually a very pleasant experience to be sanitizing with this day in and day out, where with some of these communal ones it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hat did I just put on my hands?鈥欌��

The timing for the Clean Clip may seem a little off, with signs pointing to a gradual end to the pandemic. COVID case counts are starting to drop and more and more people are getting vaccinated.

Watson believes there will still be a long-term need for the Clean Clip?

鈥淎 verbatim quote I get from RCMP officers is 鈥榥ever mind the pandemic. We need this on a daily basis,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淎ny first responder will say the same thing, and I think we are in a new paradigm here. I think it鈥檚 a new normal for all of us. Within the next four to six months, gloves might be going by the wayside, and then maybe masks follow, but sanitizer isn鈥檛 going anywhere.鈥�

It costs money to get something like this off the ground, and Watson is launching a Kickstarter campaign to cover startup costs.

He expects that to go online later this week. In the meantime, for more info on the Clean Clip, click online to

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
Like us on