Phil McEneaney - Flexibrush

I am a 47 year old sales manager selling Air conditioning products to the IT industry

Flexibrush

The Flexibrush is for a special new type of brush to provide a much faster, more efficient and effective way to clean shower hoses and awkward surfaces that an ordinary brush is unable or would take to long to do.

Due to the method of construction, the concertina type shower hose in particular, over a short period of time becomes covered with soap, dirt, mould etc. This lodges in each segment of the hose. This not only looks very unattractive, but may also allow for bacterial growth, which may become unhygienic.

The Idea

I first tried cleaning our shower hose with a standard type nailbrush this was partially effective but very time consuming taking me some ¾ of an hour to accomplish and I still wasn’t 100 % happy with the result, but too fed up to go on any further. It was also very difficult to hold the hose and work the nailbrush at the same time to go round the 360 degrees of the hose. The other option was to buy yet another new shower hose at a cost of some £25.00.

I felt there had to be a better way to carry out this task. The idea I came up with for the best method of cleaning a shower hose was a U shaped Brush to give the best bristle to hose ratio. This would allow and up and down movement together with a rotation of the U shaped brush to dislodge stubborn dirt, deposits and debris from the hose or surface. The whole hose can now be cleaned in a couple of minutes, to make it look as good as new.

The Problems

Initially I decided having designed a solution to a problem to look to sell my idea to a company and just sit back and take the royalties. Having taken my idea to the countries largest manufacturer, I was told that whilst it was a good idea you couldn’t make a brush with bristles facing inwards, not least without heavy investment in retooling.
I was disappointed in the reaction and their dismissal of the opportunity to look at it further. I set about learning more about brush manufacturing and soon discovered that all brushes start as a block and then bristles are added. In normal applications the drive for
the bristling workings of the machine is not a problem for filling a flat block but a U shape is a different matter. Armed with this I set about finding a way to develop a standard block that could then be folded. I have now successfully done this with the help of a small brush company in Romania who was of immense help to me.

It seemed to me that the manufacture in the UK could not open his mind and see the potential and engineer a solution. I got the distinct impression that they though I should stay in Engineering and leave them alone to get on with making the same old brushes.
I was disappointed by their lack of vision, at least to explore the potential a little further.

The Solution

I have always viewed problems as an opportunity to at least make something better, they might not be the whole fix but at least it’s better than it was. 

Another skill is to always listen carefully to what people are advising you on, take all the advice you can and if in doubt ASK.
I think the main key for me was to view my invention from a sale’s prospective, not necessarily is there a need because you can create that, but you have to sell your Idea and create the need. People like new things to buy, but you have to tell them why they should buy it, which leads to the marketing of your Idea the key to SALE’S
Even if you’re selling to a manufacturer or and investor, you have to be a salesman, because sales is the only thing that will make you money. no matter how wonderful you invention is.

The Success

From 2007 I have been selling Flexibrush to Betterware the UK’s largest home catalogue company and sales have been fantastic. And variations of Flexibrush are currently being developed together with multi-pack containing 3 alternative brush sizes in differentiating colours  

Contact Details:

e: Phil McEneaney
Easylife Products Ltd 
www.easylifeproducts.com

t: 01372 742 551
m: 07866752508