Call it an “odor perfect storm.” At least, that’s what Spiffy CEO Scot Wingo is calling it.
Since the start of the pandemic, the RTP-based mobile car care startup’s fleet customers—think rental car companies in particular—have found that their customers have become especially sensitive to odors in cars, as if they’re furiously sniffing the air to detect any germs.
Meanwhile more and more renters seems to be smoking (whether tobacco or cannabis), vaping, eating and doing whatever else in cars, presumably spurred by the general rise in bad habits to deal with pandemic stress and the shuttering of many restaurant dining rooms.
Spiffy has been treating car odors for several years with a chlorine dioxide gas treatment. Now they’ve decided to product-ize that treatment as the Smart Tumbler, an automated odor elimination device.
“Vehicle odors are nothing new for fleets, but post-pandemic, they have become a much greater challenge as customers are more aware of foul smells inside a car,” said Wingo in a statement. “With Smart Tumbler, our goal is to help fleet managers address the odors in their vehicles in a way that’s effective, reliable, and, most importantly, safe for anyone to use.”
For now the product will only be available to Spiffy’s fleet customers, though individual consumers can enjoy the same service for $15; they just can’t purchase the device.
Spiffy will sell the tumbler for $85, with tablets of the gas costing $15 each. Wingo says that most customers buy bundles, with a “starter pack” of a tumbler and 10 tablets retailing for $160.
Large fleet customers could use multiple devices to complete hundreds of services a day to make sure that every rental car customer rolls off the lot with a car that doesn’t make them wrinkle their nose.
The startup had been delivering the chlorine dioxide gas-based cleaning service for several years as a proprietary offering. It proved so popular that fleet partners requested a do-it-yourself device.
Spiffy is already selling hundreds of Smart Tumblers in beta form to one customer. Today’s announcement marks the official rollout to all of its fleet customers.
Here’s how it works: the Smart Tumbler delivers a water-activated chlorine dioxide (CIO2) gas throughout the interior cabin and ventilation system. The automated, rechargeable device is designed to fit into any cupholder, where it safely dispenses an effective odor-elimination treatment that leaves each vehicle smelling brand-new. Or, at least, odor-free.
According to the company, the Smart Tumbler product prioritizes five fundamental tenets to help effectively remove odors for any vehicle:
- Safe: Specifically designed to eliminate the possibility of exposure to the chlorine dioxide treatment.
- Effective: Proven to attack all sources of organic odors, including pet smells, smoke/cannabis odors, food spills, etc.
- Ease of use: Short and simple process for anyone to follow, taking only 15 minutes to complete.
- Durable: Uses no moving parts, allowing it to last for hundreds of uses.
- Consistent: Each treatment is electronically controlled and measured to eliminate odors dependably every time.
Spiffy is now available in over 30 markets and recently delivered its one millionth service since serial entrepreneur Wingo launched the company in 2014.
