Hands-free hygiene

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 2004

Best Sanitizers, Inc. has launched state-of-the-art AutoMyst Hand Sanitizer Stations for fitness centers. The touchless AutoMyst station automatically dispenses Smart-San liquid hand sanitizer. The hand spray, offered at retail outlets and on the Web (www.smart-san.com), is formulated with natural emollients. Unlike typical gel hand sanitizers, Smart-San is sprayed onto the hands, saturating and sanitizing the critical areas: the nails and cuticles. Recent studies show that most germs on the hands reside under the fingernails and cuticles.

In pre-launch test marketing, the response from fitness centers was overwhelmingly positive. Eighty-five percent of club owners who tried AutoMyst decided to purchase at the end of a two-week trial. One owner of Curves fitness centers in Sonoma, California, purchased an AutoMyst station for each of her eight clubs. She reports positive feedback from club members.

Consumer awareness of the importance of hand hygiene has risen in recent years, as concerns about illnesses such as SARS, aggressive strains of influenza and other viruses increase. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently stated that the single most important thing one can do to prevent illness is to keep hands clean. "People who work out at gyms and fitness centers are very concerned with the possibility of cross-contamination. Viruses can survive on surfaces up to 72 hours. Providing hand and surface sanitizers will dramatically reduce bacteria and viruses in that environment," says Hillard Witt, president of Best Sanitizers.

The AutoMyst dispenser, backed by a permanent, colorful Hand Sanitizing Station sign, is powered by four D-cell batteries. It holds a one-liter bottle of Smart-San, which dispenses 1,000 applications. The dispenser retails for $72. The hand sanitizer, packaged in cases of six ($69), is available fragrance-free or in a "fresh & clean" fragrance.

Best also offers fitness clubs a unique, new surface sanitizer for gym equipment. Alpet D2 Surface Sanitizer is a non-corrosive, alcohol-based sanitizer that kills 99.999 percent of bacteria and viruses in 60 seconds. Unlike most sanitizers, EPA approved Alpet D2 requires no rinsing or wiping and can be used on food contact surfaces.