The Saniwipe Story – by Annette Devenish, Infection Protection Products

Back in 2006, a sharp-eyed store manager at Northgate PnP Hypermarket stuck up a simple sign: “Free wipes for your trolley handles.” That small gesture sparked a big idea.

My sister Gail spotted the sign, grabbed a camera (yes, before smartphones!), and showed the photo to me and our dad. With three young kids between us and a family business already making toilet seat wipes, we knew this had legs – or rather, wheels.

So began our journey into trolley wipes. We rigged up a clunky stand, used buckets with manually punched lids, and repurposed our biodegradable Ecowipe paper. Our mission? One wipe at a time, one trolley at a time – keep kids safe from germs in public spaces.

Soon, Northgate PnP gave us the green light. Then PnP HQ called. Then SPAR. A newspaper article. A buzz. And lots of slow, steady progress.

The 2009 swine flu gave trolley wipes a much-needed nudge, but it wasn’t until 2020 – hello, COVID – that demand exploded. Overnight, we were up 500%. We scrambled. We scaled. We made hard calls, often turning down new customers to supply hospitals and long-time partners.

Then came the copycats – using our stands for their low-grade wipes. But we kept going.

We pushed forward with innovation. Polypropylene wipes? Great – let’s make them recyclable. We teamed up with recyclers, turned green wipes into benches, pallets, even jungle gyms! Shoprite Checkers jumped in with a full circular system – and it earned us their 2022 Sustainability Award.

Today, Saniwipe is a proudly South African brand, trusted by shoppers, backed by science, and committed to sustainability. So when you grab a green Saniwipe, know you’re not just cleaning your trolley – you’re part of a story that started with three sisters, a sign, and a dream to protect and empower.

Sani-touch cares for you, your kids, and our planet. One wipe. One trolley. One jungle gym at a time.

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