KCBD, NewsChannel 11 Lubbock |Mom Cuts Down On Germs In Public Restrooms

Mom Cuts Down On Germs In Public Restrooms

WALKERSVILLE, MD - One local mom was looking for ways to protect her kids from germs when they had to "go" away from home, but that wasn't enough.

Her germ-free quest has become a business.

It started with a simple problem of when kids "Gotta go."

 "They would have to grab hold of the toilet seat. They would be touching everything, so I started putting sandwich bags on their hands, and then I thought there must be something easier," says Stephanie Dellamura.

Dellamura wanted to protect her two sons from the excessive germs in public bathrooms, but she couldn't find anything already on the market.  So, the Walkersville woman invented the 'Gotta Go Mitts."  They're disposable covers for kids to wear when they "Gotta go" away from home.  Research and testing prototypes was a year and a half long process.

Dellamura says, "It's been a struggle because I became a stay-at-home-mom to be with my children.  So, I wanted to make sure that this didn't get in the way of my family.  So, there's been quite a lot of late nights."

The Gotta Go Mitts are made out of plastic to avoid any latex allergies.  The mitts are designed to fit kids ages two to seven, but adults who have suffered burns or have lost fingers have already contacted Stephanie.

"I don't know how large a market it would be for adults," says Dellamura.

For now, Stephanie's trying to sell two and a half million Gotta Go Mitts.  At 20 mitts each, that's 125,000 packages.  Local merchants are helping her business out.

"As a small business owner and as a mom, for me it was about helping another mom who was going into  small business on her own," Connie Hastings, owner of Bugs and Buttercups says.

Bugs and Buttercups is one of two Maryland stores to carry Gotta Go Mitts.  Stephanie also sells them through her website.  She says the mitts also help keep little hands free from sticky lollipops.

Dellamura adds, "Children do wash their hands but I don't know how well they wash their hands."

Now maybe there's one less question for moms to solve after, "Are we there yet?"

For more information on Gotta Go Mitts (click here)

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