Imagine never having to get on your hands and knees to clean your castor wheels again

MONEY MATTERS Imagine never having to get on your hands and knees to clean your castor wheels again!!

The Founder of Silicone Hygiene, Nick Davis, has patented a Cover that protects your wheels and then can be cleaned in the dishwasher at the end of service. No more embarrassment when the Food Inspector comes around.

In fact, EHO Manager Kevin Gosling has said that “During routine inspections I will ask how a business goes about cleaning and maintaining the wheels and often I am met with “well we try our best but they are not easy to clean.

“This new design looks to have solved the problem by encasing the wheel with a removable and washable cover.

“If used correctly and included within a cleaning schedule they can be removed daily/weekly put through the dishwasher and placed back on the wheel in a matter of minutes.

“This seems to be a simple solution to overcome a cleaning problem not only in the food industry but any sector where mobile equipment is used.”

Nick said, “I remember scrubbing castor wheels on my hands and knees when I started my Chefs apprenticeship – the Cover is designed to make cleaning easier for the Kitchen Staff while making HACCP compliance easier for Management. The Cover allows organisations to reduce the use and waste of water and chemicals. It only takes one cleaning cycle (5 mins) of a dishwasher to clean the 12 wheels of 4 units, ensuring the units are fully regulatory compliant.”

The Product is an aftermarket, injection moulded, fitted and self-sealing Castor Wheel Cover that is manufactured from Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) a similar material to soft-touch razor handles, which makes the cleaning of equipment for use in hygiene environments more time efficient and sanitary.

The Cover fits over any wheel like a clamshell, with a sealing mechanism that allows full functionality of the wheel in both axis and the brake to be applied or released with the cover in place. It is made of a single piece of TPE and the exterior surface that covers the brake pedal is moulded with a pattern for grip. The two flaps at the front cover make it easy to remove the cover for cleaning. The scraper prevents debris being redistributed by the wheel as it turns.

“No more nightly complaints from the pot washer or trying second guess when the next inspection is coming. But more so, you get the knowledge that your kitchen is as clean as possible, saving one less headache in your busy day.

“We all know how mucky a fryer can get so Silicone Hygiene’s mission is to make hygiene compliance as easy as possible for organisations.”, said Nick, “and there is nothing worse than having to scrub the castors, except maybe the grease trap, and I can’t help there, sorry”.

The European Patent Office has granted the patent application which will protect Silicone Hygiene and the potential Licensee from appropriation of the Cover not only within the EU market of 445m people, but also in any country that wishes to do business with EU based organisations.

Under EU law countries that wish to gain favourable trading conditions must enact legislation that ensures goods and services comply with EU phytosanitary regulations. This gives the Cover an even greater market and further protection from appropriation rather than just relying on the World Intellectual Property Organization. The WIPO process continues with Patents applied for in the US, China, Japan and South Korea.

This Patent allowed Nick to present the concept to global organisations like Blickle as potential Licensees while protecting a very simple and effective solution to an increasingly common problem.

The next global Patent, which Nick is also offering the Licensee, incorporates improvements to the Cover’s usability and biosecurity efficiency informed by extensive real-world testing and feedback.

Above this image was part of an evidence bundle to show the Court the general poor condition of the premises. The premises plead guilty to all charges and with fines and costs had to pay just under £12,000.

Silicone Hygiene’s Castor Wheel Cover