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One nasty bathroom problem grosses people out — but a ‘Shark Tank’ couple turned it into a $300K win

DrainWig was introduced to the Sharks as a grand solution for clogged bathroom drains due to hair.

Jennifer and Gifford Briggs had an answer to an age-old problem that they presented on 'Shark Tank' Season 9. Many people know the struggle of cleaning a bathroom drain after a warm shower. While this may irritate many, the entrepreneurs pitched DrainWig, a disposable chain that traps hair. This eliminated the need to put your hand in the drain or use harsh, odorous chemicals. The entrepreneurs sought investment to expand the product’s reach beyond online sales and into mass retail outlets.

While the company was being promoted by husband and wife, the family soon showed up on the podium. The two entrepreneurs also invited their daughters, as they began their pitch by sharing the story behind DrainWig. As per Jennifer, she invented DrainWig with a more hygienic and environmentally friendly solution in mind to solve the issue of clogged drains caused by hair. She also planned to get over the use of chemicals and the gross task of manually removing hair from drains. 

According to Shark Tank Recap, DrainWig was a simple approach that was also hygienic. It was a chain that had to be placed on the drain. This chain then strangles the hair before it can reach the insides of the drain and clog it. Once you are done taking a shower, the chain can then be pulled out, which has collected a bunch of hair. Jennifer also explained that DrainWig is a disposable product that allows customers to pull it out and throw it away. One pack of DrainWig consists of four chains and costs only $19.95. The entrepreneurs also claimed that one pack could easily last a family for a period of one year. 

Besides selling their product online, the family had even gained massive success selling DarinWig through infomercials, meeting a strong market demand. According to the outlet, it was not only the investment from Shark that they were seeking but also their expertise. Daymond John asked for the numbers, following which the couple revealed that DrainWig costs only $1.10 to manufacture and that they sold it for $9.99. The company had reached $14.2 million, which grabbed the attention of the Sharks.

Mark Cuban was, however, out, stating he was not interested in the product. Further, Kevin O’Leary made an offer of $300,000 for a 20% equity. Next, guest Shark Sara Blakely also exited the pitch. John offered $300,000 for 20% right after which Lori Greiner offered $300,000 for 25% equity. In their counteroffer, the family asked for $300,000 for 10% equity, which was ignored by the Sharks. Looking at the stakes, the Briggs family then revised this counteroffer, raising the percentage to 15% and also highlighting that they have potential requirements in hotels. While John was just about to speak up, Mr. Wonderful interrupted and agreed to go forward with the 15% counteroffer.