Abigail Klein Leichman
November 5, 2015, Updated November 6, 2015

Cleaning the drain strainer in the kitchen or bath is one of those yucky chores nobody likes to do. A pair of Israeli entrepreneurs found a way to make it – well, if not exactly fun, then at least a lot more tolerable.

The “fashion plumbing” product Sink Skin is disposable after a week or two of use, and comes in an array of bright prints and patterns. The product is printable so that companies or hotels can add their logo and use it as a promo item.

The patented, made-in-Israel product is available in North America, Finland and Israel thus far, and will be among 24 distinct product lines sold in a new pop-up Israeli design store opening in Hong Kong on October 22.

Cofounder Nir Eylon tells ISRAEL21c that because Sink Skin is thinner and wider-rimmed than ordinary strainers, it more easily catches all the food particles and hair that shouldn’t get into the drain. It’s got a “finger lifter” feature for easy removal.

Eylon says that though Sink Skin is disposable, he and partner Sharon Ychie consider it a “green” product boasting a small carbon footprint. The strainer is recyclable, while the package is made from recycled materials and optimized to save on raw material and shipping weight. A year’s worth of Sink Skins adds up to 200 grams of plastic.

 Plus, the Tel Aviv-based company employs local labor: The plastic is produced at Kibbutz Gazit in the Galilee, printed in Holon and turned into Sink Skins in Ashkelon by people with disabilities.

A colorful way to keep your drains running clear. Photo courtesy of Sink Skin
A colorful way to keep your drains running clear. Photo courtesy of Sink Skin

Eylon, formerly in high-tech sales and marketing, and Sharon, a graphic designer with a degree from the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem, are both in their 40s. They started the company in 2011 and got seed funding from the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Economy Ministry. The introduced Sink Skin at a Las Vegas trade show in 2013 and immediately signed their first distributorship agreement. Now they’re seeing a lot of repeat orders, he reports.

In addition to individual customers, Sink Skin is focusing on the hospitality industry. “In hotels, it has already been proven that our products decrease drainage repair expenses; at the same time, hotel guests feel the management’s concern for a particularly high level of hygiene and aesthetics,” Eylon explains.

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