Just Spray to PeeSafe

'PeeSafe'- here's a toilet seat sanitizer spray 

If you are a public toilet phobe, then this piece is for you. Swati Soni chats with Vikas Bagaria, the founder of PeeSafe – a toilet seat sanitizer spray – about how he is interested in creating safer sanitation options for women in India.

Necessity is the mother of invention

When Vikas Bagaria’s wife, Srijana, contracted severe UTI during a road trip, her husband conceptualized and created PeeSafe in 2014. Srijana and Vikas had to abandon the rest of trip due to Srijana’s hospitalization, where Srijana wondered why hand sanitizers, and not toilet sanitizers, were a thing. Vikas Bagaria sought the opportunity in this idea, and PeeSafe was created. This was not unusual for Bagaria, as he has always worked towards improving safety for women.

Did you know that over two hundred million Indian women suffer from urinary tract infection (UTI) because of unhygienic toilets – whether it is in a sauchalaya or swanky hotel washrooms? There has been a lot of awareness regarding hygiene in washrooms, but the seat of the commode – a hot seat for germs -  is frequently left as it is.

Before the launch in 2015, Bagaria sampled the product amongst his friends, families, bloggers and friends’ friends for an entire year. The positive responses Bagaria received increased the return value of the product. In less than three years, more than one lakh pieces were sold without marketing.

Sales pitch

Communication reflects the product, and we wanted to be honest with our customers. “We communicated with our buyers using social media as a platform. We started out by explaining facts like the actual definition of public toilet. Then we made our buyers understand the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, and also offered product sampling. Sampling always works, as the results and feedback are quick and, the product could be modified accordingly,” explains Bagaria.

PeeSafe will be pitched to metros and then to mini-metros, targeting women in the 18 to 35 age bracket. “Our focus is college goers, working women, and young mothers. They are socially active and can easily acclimatize to new products, become evangelists of products they like and use regularly, and rise as influencers in their communities.” PeeSafe needs to be sprayed five seconds prior to use of the toilet seat.

Peesafe can be classified in the relatively virgin category of sanitizing products.  “We have refrained from promoting the product through medical doctors and executives as our belief system is “use it to believe it." We have had pharmacists from various tier-II cities calling us and asking for the products,” says Bagaria, and that thought has propelled the company to create a robust distribution network, which will increase the availability and visibility of the product.

The journey ahead

PeeSafe is currently being sold in Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Singapore and will soon be available in the UAE, Spain, Ghana, and Malaysia. With the recent strategic acquisition of $1 million in funding, PeeSafe will become a part of RedCliffe Hygiene’s portfolio and will be available across the country through traditional as well as modern trade.

Dheeraj Jain and Vikas Bagaria

Recently, Redcliffe Hygiene raised $1 million (Rs 6.4 crore) in pre-Series A funding from a batch of investors such as Mumbai-based Venture Catalysts, Detroit- and Mumbai-based Alfa Capital, Green Shots Capital and Real Time Ventures. With this round of funding, we aim to reach out to 10 per cent of our target market through 1 lakh stores by the end of this year, and it will be in India itself,” said Bagaria. RedCliffe Hygiene also aims to launch hygiene products for mosquito bites and equipment at gyms.

Tips for entrepreneurs

Bagaria, who is also an angel investor and mentor, says many budding start-up enthusiasts believe in starting an innovative business and selling it off. I firmly believe that the faith in the product is of paramount importance and one should put in the hours working on product deliverables and research. Another crucial advice I would give entrepreneurs is to not dilute the stakes irrespective of how lucrative the offer. Entrepreneurs should seek funds according to their requirements.  

Can a toilet seat sanitizer spray solve issues related with hygienic toilets in our country? Do share your views.