hand sanitizer every five minutes, coughing into their elbows, or wearing masks on a plane.Regardless, it is clear that society is demonstrating its fear of germs! One environment that has caused many to rethink their daily routines is the office place.

NY Daily News Article

Whether it is the elevator buttons, the phone, the printer, or the fax machine, all communal office equipment is a haven for germs.  The water cooler is no exception and is often the most difficult to remedy.

Germs can form on water coolers from a variety of sources with one of the main sources being direct contact from water bottles during the refill process. Because of the high likelihood of spreading germs, we are continuously reminded not to touch the mouth of the bottle to the spigot while refilling. But, the fact of the matter is that directly touching the spigot is the most convenient way to refill and therefore people have been reluctant to adapt to this new precaution and will most likely continue to ignore all strategically placed warning signs. If you do not believe this, just stand by your water cooler for 15 minutes and observe. It is also important to note that even if some people adhere to the rules, the unfortunate truth is that it only takes one person to compromise the integrity of the entire office.

Understanding the necessity and the importance, companies have flooded the market with countless products and methods used to clean water coolers from the inside out but yet the concerns over the cleanliness of water coolers remain, and for good reason. Cleaning the water cooler once a month or even once a day is ineffective considering the frequency and the manner in which they are used throughout the day. It is like wiping your windshield in the morning, driving through a rainstorm all day and then expecting your windshield to be dry when you pull into the garage at night. It is not possible without windshield wipers and neither is a germ-free water cooler. So, either you use a sanitary wipe each time you refill or you use something that prevents germs from landing on the spigot and/or your water bottle each time you refill. For obvious economical reasons, the use of a disposable sanitary wipe is probably not the best solution, leading us to the other possible solution- using something that helps prevent germs from landing on the spigot and/or your water bottle each time you refill.

The only problem is that a product of this sort currently does not exist, bringing us to the purpose of this website, Fresh Sleeve™.
Fresh Sleeve™, is a biodegradable, paper sleeve that one must only dispense and slip over the mouth of a water bottle prior to refilling. The paper sleeve eliminates any contact between your water bottle and the water cooler, keeping you and your bottle germ-free each time you refill. Fresh Sleeve™ is designed to fit single use plastic water bottles, narrow mouthed Nalgene bottles, Sigg water bottles and all other bottles with a similar diameter.

Fresh Sleeve™ will be the only product on the market that helps to prevent the spread of germs at the point of refill even with direct contact to the spigot. It is a necessary addition to your workplace and your health club if you want to mitigate the risk of catching or spreading germs at the communal water cooler. Conventional water cooler cleaning practices are important but are clearly inadequate at preventing the spread of germs. The consumer needs and deserves a better and more hygienic way to refill than the current state. The answer is Fresh Sleeve™.

We acknowledge that not all will use Fresh Sleeve™ for whatever reason (laziness, disbelief, cynicism, etc.) but at least those that want to avoid ingesting germs will have a more effective way to do so. Fresh Sleeve™ will take the guesswork out of catching germs at the water cooler by providing each refiller a safer way to get their water despite the unhygienic actions of others.

Green Effect
An estimated 70 million plastic water bottles are used in the U.S. each day, many of which are not recycled and ultimately end up in landfills. Unlike the dubious, unsupported claims that some companies make to hop aboard the green train, the environmental benefits of Fresh Sleeve™ are real and easy to understand. .
Fresh Sleeve™ allows you to refill your water bottle – without fear of spreading or catching germs – which means that one less plastic water bottle may end up in the local landfill. The availability of Fresh Sleeve™ should precipitously increase the number of people who refill their personal water bottles, and thereby decrease the number of plastic water bottles polluting our earth.

Recommend Fresh Sleeve™ as part of your employer’s green initiative!