A Cincinnati brand founded by a former professional soccer player is celebrating its official launch this week – capping a multiyear effort by its founder to make towels cleaner, fresher and safer.
Epiphany, a liquid spray that removes harmful bacteria so towels stay cleaner between each use, is now available for purchase, effective May 25.
The rollout includes sales via its own website, towelspray.com, with a small Findlay Market showcase scheduled to begin May 27.
The brand will also be available on Faire.com, a B2B platform catering to small businesses and entrepreneurs, with plans to debut on Amazon.com and Walmart.com in the next four to six weeks.
Tyler Collishaw, a native of England who logged stints with soccer clubs like Leeds United, Bristol City and his hometown Hull City before moving stateside, launched Epiphany in 2020, based on an idea he hatched during his previous athletic pursuits.
He said he became increasingly aware of the importance of towel hygiene and the true stats behind the problem shocked him.
Towels can quickly become infested with more than 260,000 bacteria and fungi over a 24-hour period. That bacteria, considered invisible enemies, he said, is responsible for acne flares, virus spread, infections and irritation.
If you use the same towel for over a week, those numbers multiply to 650 million (and more than 80% of people reuse their towel more than once).
Epiphany’s formula, developed in part by a scientist at University of Cincinnati and another at Johnson & Johnson, is skin-safe and antimicrobial. It saves on laundry needs, and refreshes the fabric and depletes calcium levels, which can lead to dryness.
He also hopes the product will stand out with its packaging.
The spray is sold in a less bulky and transparent 6-ounce container, priced at $9.99. Collishaw said the smaller size makes it easily transportable. And the design is aesthetically pleasing, he said.
“If we can create something that looks good, people are more likely to leave it out,” Collishaw said. “If they leave it out, they're more likely to remember to use it and buy it more often."
While its product launch serves as a key milestone, don’t expect to find Epiphany at any major retail, brick-and-mortar stores.
To start, the brand will only be available direct to consumer. Future partnerships could target local gyms, hotels, and later, Airbnb owners, Collishaw said.
“If we go on a shelf, we’re going get lost,” he said.
“We want Epiphany to be known for towels just like Tide is known for laundry and Clorox is known for bleach,” Collishaw added. “It’s a problem a lot of people can relate to, and there's huge potential.”
