New Smart Handle Line of Ergonomic Homecleaning Tools

April 2005 – The only line of certified ergonomic mops, brooms, rakes and other long handled, home cleaning tools were invented with prevention in mind. But the most avid consumers seem to be coming from among the 65 million Americans who suffer from low back pain each year. “Presenteeism” – a term introduced in the March 2005 issue of Ergonomics Today, those who continue to work at less than full capacity in sickness or pain – has bumped absenteeism as the thorniest of workplace issue. Yet millions of weary dual-income workers return home facing the same mopping, sweeping, and raking despite various back and wrist ailments, and a new genre of thoughtfully designed products has caught the attention of consumers and their muscle twitches.

Enter the new Smart Handle line of ergonomically correct homecleaning tools, (www.deltaergo.com) the first to meet high standards and be recognized by certified performance technologists as a physiologically safer approach towards cleaning (www.ergonauts.com). The line of mops, brooms, rakes and other tools help reduce the risk of back injury and wrist fatigue during routine floor care, scrubbing and lawn work with tools first introduced in industrial settings, and now made available for consumer use.

According to Ergonomics Today, presenteeism costs U.S. companies billions annually, but the publication states that the introduction of ergonomics can be enormously effective in preventing injuries as well as accommodating people already injured.

Delta Ergo’s Smart Handle line of patented “bent handle” products has helped bring the science of ergonomics from the workplace into the home. As growing numbers of Americans have experienced ergonomics at work, what was once thought as insignificant is now embraced as necessary in terms of its true impact on quality of life. Two of Delta Ergo’s best products won a prestigious design award at the International Home and Houseware Show last month — feature a patented strain-reducing ergonomic handle shaped to keep the body in an upright position while working.

Each tool features pliable grips to provide comfort while in use and are made from strong, lightweight aluminum that requires less effort to grip and move the tool. Additional ergonomic features are designed to focus on specific product tasks. Each tool in the line features one of three different patented handle designs to optimize comfort and cleaning efficiency through an own ergonomic motion for that task: side-to-side, figure 8, or push/pull. Some handles are long and rigid, strengthening the user’s grip so that they have optimum power when and where they need it for their work. Others have adjustability built into them so users can grip them at the height most comfortable for them, and the third variety of handles can swivel 360 degrees to reduce fatigue and repetitive motion.

Perhaps Delta Ergo is best known for introducing the first-ever ergonomic Adjustable Rake – an ergonomically-certified tool proven to increase raking productivity in its users by 25 to 35 percent while reducing the risk of injury to the body.

NOW SMART MOPS AND BROOMS REDUCE WRIST AND BACK STRAIN
The newest hot product line for Delta is a series of ergonomically designed floor-care mops, brooms, and a tile scrubber designed to drastically reduce wrist and back strain when compared with their equivalent standard products. Two mops — one a self-wringing mop and another for hardwood floors — feature a 360-degree swivel handle that is designed to rotate in order to reduce awkward wrist motion. The third re-engineered mop is a “butterfly sponge mop,” featuring the signature bent handle with a large absorbent sponge and strong back plate. Its grip-wringing mechanism is easy to maneuver and allows the sponge to be wrung out without getting the user’s hands wet (a design accomplishment of all Smart Handle mops).

Complementing the mops is a Tub and Tile Scrub-All, a stiff-bristled brush that allows scrubbing without scratching. Its swivel motion head is perfect for hard-to-reach, high places in showers, (which consumers have discovered can accommodate other popular floor-cleaning attachments on the market). And an upright house broom, which features a wide head for sweeping large areas, with a design that gets into corners and under counters with flare tips.

“The Smart Handle tools are unlike any ergonomic tools I’ve ever seen,” said Steve Davis, ergonomic expert and founder and CEO of Ergonauts: Performance Technologists, LLC®, the leading group of ergonomic experts in the country that tested and certified The Smart Handle line. “The handles keep the user upright and in a neutral position, place the work closer to the center of gravity and provide efficient transfer of force to the desired target. All of these factors help minimize the aches and pains that can result from cleaning and help people work quicker and safer.” The full ergonomic product evaluation report is available upon request.

“When we saw how the professional cleaning and maintenance industry embraced these tools, we knew we had to bring them to the retail consumer,” said Mary Jamieson, Director of Marketing for DELTA ERGO™. “These tools get the job done faster, with less muscle fatigue and increased productivity. Every week I hear stories of homeowners trying our Smart Handle household cleaning tools, and they indeed feel the difference almost immediately – particularly in their backs and wrists, and especially from those people who already have pre-existing strains in these areas.”

Each tool in The Smart Handle line comes with a lifetime warranty on the handle for materials and workmanship defects. They are available at select Do-It-Best stores around the nation and via the Internet at www.deltaergo.com. Suggested retail prices range from $25 to $40.

SOURCE Delta Ergo