Touchless toilet paper dispenser on a roll
Scott Fellhoelter, a Canyon Lake resident for 33 years, proudly proclaims he knows more about your bathroom habits than you do.
With all of his research behind him, he has created and patented the world’s first fully automatic touchless toilet paper dispenser. His business is on a roll and the first batch of devices are being manufactured and earmarked for the Pala Casino.
He declares that with his Bio Touchless dispenser, the user can be assured of a clean wipe every time.
“I know more about your potty habits than you probably do yourself,” Scott said. “I know you are either a yanker, a crumbler, or a folder, for example. You yank tons of paper, crumble up wads of paper or fold your paper into a cute little square before wiping. The great thing about Bio Touchless is, we give you, the consumer, just enough paper for each wipe. The process saves both paper and water.”
Canyon Laker Scott Fellhoelter holds his two patents for his touchless toilet paper dispenser. Photo by Dawn Rankins
Scott’s dispenser isn’t just about conserving resources. The main attribute of the Bio Touchless toilet paper dispenser is to control the countless contaminants that come directly from a typical toilet paper dispenser…especially those in commercial spaces.
“Manual toilet paper dispensers are the most serious health hazards in any public bathroom,” Scott said. “Trying to keep manual dispensers sanitary, secure and stocked is inefficient and often impossible. This challenge is everywhere, from public facilities to hotels, office buildings, restaurants, medical offices and hospitals, even at our beaches and gas stations.”
Since COVID-19, people are searching for this sort of product, he said. The Bio Touchless is a multi-roll dispenser that illuminates a yellow light to notify the janitorial department that the paper is running low. When the light goes red, it means a roll is completely out.
“Gone should be the days when anyone goes into a public restroom and discovers no paper in the dispenser,” he said. “Or to find a tail of toilet paper touching the ground and someone else’s cooties are on the paper itself.”
The goal of the company is to put this patented disease-prevention device next to as many public toilets as possible to improve the health of the public.
The public is probably not aware that manual toilet paper dispensers are the most serious health hazards in public restrooms, Scott said. Trying to keep manual dispensers sanitary, secure and stocked is inefficient and often impossible.
“Our goal is to put this patented disease prevention device in as many public bathrooms as possible to improve public health,” he said. “My company has faced pandemic-related delay issues with products, like many other companies, but we are excited that our initial shipment of 1,000 units hits Los Angeles on July 17.”
When that first shipment arrives, the first 50 units go into Pala Casino for a trial run, afterwhich Pala has given a verbal agreement to purchase 1,000 units. Pala has 190 stalls in its casino and 504 rooms in its hotel. The Pala Casino CEO said he wants the Bio Touchless installed in every stall or bathroom in the property.
“We did a pilot run at Annie’s Cafe in Lake Elsinore for 90 days,” Scott said. “During that time, 7,900 people used the restroom and there was a 57% reduction in toilet paper use. We now have two units in the women’s restroom in Annie’s Cafe in Temecula.”
Scott Fellhoelter
Bio Touchless is the only manufacturer of a 100 percent touchless multi-roll dispenser. Bio Touchless has to be as reliable as an ATM machine, Scott said. When a roll of toilet paper runs out, the machine switches to the second roll and an illuminated light notifies the proper person to come and fill the dispenser.
“It’s the first hand-over dispenser and there is never a need to touch the paper or the machine,” Scott said. “You can be sure of a virgin clean wipe every time.”
Bio Touchless prevents the spread of restroom biohazards and the spread of contamination because there are not multiple hands touching the paper.
The toilet paper holder and its toilet paper are the direct point of cross contamination of patrons. According to the American Journal of Infection Control, it is determined that a person is 150 times more likely to come into contact with someone else’s pathogenic microorganisms by touching the exposed paper or dispenser than when simply sitting on the toilet seat, Scott said.
“Another interesting thing is 60 percent of people use toilet paper for other uses in addition to just wiping their booties,” he said. “Toilet paper is used for blowing noses, wiping tears, taking off make-up and a host of other things. This is where pathogenic cross contamination comes in. When a person takes toilet paper from a public restroom and touches it, the cross contamination has already begun.”
And the unit is self contained. Floating contaminants do not touch the toilet paper because the toilet paper is not openly exposed to the elements.
“Did you know that because public restrooms don’t have a toilet lid, when flushed, the plume acts much like a volcano eruption of poop particles,” Scott said. “This gram negative material hits the air and lands on surfaces up to eight feet from the open toilet. Of course, the closest thing to the toilet is the toilet paper dispenser, where if uncovered, gets inundated with these particles just waiting for the next person to use.”
Scott didn’t realize when he was a young man working for his dad’s plumbing company that the experience would lead him down the path of making such a product.
Scott says he remembers when he was about 17 years old, his dad sent him out to Gemco to fix an issue they were having with a toilet. He remembers going into the restroom to fix the toilet and being totally grossed out by what he found.
“Why am I here? This is so gross,” he said. “I don’t want to touch this toilet. However, I did, but I was aware of how unsanitary it all was. Back in the day, people tended to not give too much thought about touching public toilets, sinks and such things, so when I would use caution, I was a bit unique.”
Later he joined the Los Angeles County Fire Department, where he was exposed to contamination in an era when first responders didn’t wear gloves or other protective gear.
“It wasn’t uncommon for us to get blood or other fluids on our hands and arms,” he said. “I always knew it wasn’t clean or healthy, but once I became more aware as a fireman and medic, I used more caution on the job. I always tried to figure out how to protect not only myself, but others, too. I have the mindset of wanting to help people who help people, and from my life experiences, Bio Touchless was born.”
His company holds two U.S. exclusive patents on the touchless, sealed, multi-roll automatic dispenser. He also holds five international patents pending in Canada, China, Japan, Australia and the EU.
With those patents, he has secured funding from investors and continues seeking more. Initially, he was able to secure a round of investors who put up $1.2 million in investment capital.
“We are now at the point of round two of investors,” Scott said. “The purpose of investors is to help pay for and offset the manufacturing costs. My company is like other companies who have been hit by the challenges of logistics caused by the pandemic. Shipping for a full container of product went from $3,000 to $20,000 due to the current events the world is going through.”
The next level? The goal as a company, he said, is to disrupt the market place and become omnipresent. He said he wants Bio Touchless to be in every restroom. When this happens, it will be the final step toward making restrooms fully touchless.
Scott said the company currently has received interest from all over the world, including airports in Tel Aviv.
Scott continues to be hands-on with his product and when asked what his plans might look like when he makes it big, he said his life won’t change all that much.
“I plan to stay right here in Canyon Lake,” he said. “I love my house, I love my community and I am so grateful everyday that I get to wake up here, in this special paradise.”
Bio Touchless can be installed in any restroom, even in the home. For more information, go to www.biotouchless.com.