Shimmy is revolutionizing household essentials, launches first product in market

The pandemic will forever change the way we live, work, play, and take care of ourselves. An aspect of livelihood that we’ll certainly all be paying more attention to is our hygiene. Shimmy founder Ashley Wayman took notice of the touch-free hand sanitizer dispensers popping up throughout public spaces and commercial buildings over the past year and a half, and now her startup wants to bring them into people’s homes.

Shimmy launched this past Tuesday, preparing to shake up the hygiene of homes across the country with their wall-mounted dispensers designed to fit into any bathroom or living area, whether by blending into the wallpaper or adding a little color.

With many industries being forced to evolve during the past year and a half, Wayman was underwhelmed to find that the hand sanitizing did not adapt to the more meticulous hygiene habits newly found in households. Pump squeeze plastic bottles of sanitizer collect as an eyesore in bathrooms over time.

Built for home-use, Shimmy’s touchless model can be mounted to walls and come with recyclable aluminum cartridges holding over 500 doses of plant-and-alcohol based sanitizer. With pride, Shimmy avoids producing single-user plastic at every point in the supply chain, making Shimmy both carbon neutral and plastic neutral. 

Shimmy will launch with three color options: white, gray, and navy. Customers can further personalize their dispensers by using peel-and-stick design paper. The company plans to regularly release limited-edition colors and new scents. Users will be able to detach the dispensers faceplate to switch out colors as they please. Shimmy also provides customized faceplates for commercial partners. With Shimmy, sanitizer dispensers will continue store or corporate headquarters' branded experience and even surprise & delight customers and employees with funny expressions or a friendly hello message.

Shimmy will retail at $74 for the dispenser, including batteries and a full cartridge. Wayman said she envisions her product becoming a staple in bathrooms used by children.

Thanks to $3 million in seed funding, Wayman said, Shimmy has been able to develop and stock its dispensers, as well as invest in product marketing.