Scrub Daddy High Tech Scrubber Cleans Up

Scrub Daddy promises to make a big splash in the Shark Tank during episode 407. Aaron Krause, the creator of the high-tech sponge alternative, has been getting lots of play in video promos since season four began. Scrub Daddy has appeared on QVC so Lori Greiner may already be familiar with it. Krause brings Scrub Daddy to the Shark Tank hoping to clean up with an investment from the Sharks.

What is Scrub Daddy?

Scrub Daddy is much more than a sponge. It’s a high-tech, sponge alternative that has different textures depending on the water temperature: hot water makes Scrub Daddy soft and cold water makes it coarse for those tough kitchen scrubbing jobs. The smiley face shape is both cute and utilitarian; the  eyes provide a spot for fingers and the mouth for a thumb, making for a solid grip while scrubbing dishes and pots and pans. The jagged edges of ScrubDaddy make it easy to get into tight spaces like between the tines of a fork.

ScrubDaddy was originally developed by Krause for the auto mechanic market to scrub grease and oil of of hands. One night, while on clean up duty, he used one of the pads to scrub spaghetti sauce of a pan and it did a great job. Scrub Daddy was born! The additional factors of changing texture with changing water temperature and the fact ScrubDaddy doesn’t get smelly like traditional sponges makes it a true kitchen wonder.

Aaron Krause Inventor

Aaron Krause has always been what you would call a “tinkerer.”  He was the kid who was always taking things apart and putting them back together again to see how they worked. While he was a psychology major at Syracuse, he spent a lot of time fixing machinery. His hands got dirty doing this which led him to invent the hand cleaning pad that eventually became Scrub Daddy.

ScrubDaddy isn’t his first invention either. After he graduated Syracuse, Krause  had an auto detailing business. He and a partner developed double-sided, beveled-edge auto buffing pads and the equipment needed to manufacture them. They sold this product and the technology to 3M Corporation for millions of dollars!

Krause is proud of the fact that ScrubDaddy is made in the USA. The bright yellow sponge alternative is made at a factory in Folcroft, PA.

Will Sharks  Clean Up?

Aaron Krause is no stranger to dealing with investors like the Sharks. His experience with 3M shows he can swim with the big fish, even if he may only be a smiling little sponge to them. The 3M folks may never have said “you’re dead to me,” but negotiations with multi-national corporations are almost always complex and, at times, tense.

The ABC promos showing Krause and Scrub Daddy imply that there are heated negotiations among The Sharks. The promos also imply Lori Greiner offers Krause a BIG check for ScrubDaddy. Whether this is more editing hype remains to be seen, but Krause enters the Shark Tank with a lot more than most entrepreneurs: a history of sales and a history of developing successful products and bringing them to market.

This is a product the Sharks will most likely make offers on. Scrub Daddy has already appeared on QVC, so Lori is a natural partner. Lori won’t need to apply the “hero or zro” formula to Scrub Daddy, he’s already a hero. Krause’s inventive nature is sure to spark interest from The Sharks too, who wouldn’t want to partner with a winner?

I think Krause leaves the Shark Tank richer than when he walked in with a big fat deal. I am “IN” with Scrub Daddy.

Rob Merlino

Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.