Question 1

How does it work? How does it clean and sanitize?

Accepted Answer

You place your pets' bowls in the machine along with a filled water tank, place a small detergent tablet, and let the machine do its work while you sit back and relax! Within 20-30 minutes, you will have clean bowls to use for the next meal! Hygie uses high-pressure water jets, high-heat cleaning, and UV technology to clean and sanitize, ensuring 99.9% of bacteria gets killed.

Afterwards, you can dump the water out. No need to clean the water tank, just once a month maintenance on that should be good! The water that gets dispensed out also goes through a cycle of UV sanitization, reducing bacterial growth in the water as well.

Question 2

Can I use my own bowls? What size bowls can I use?

Accepted Answer

Hygie is designed to fit most standard-sized pet bowls, so you can clean and sanitize the bowls you already own. Hygie can accommodate 4 bowls up to 7" diameter and 6 bowls up to 5" diameter, and 2 bowls up to 10" diameter. It also cleans your pets' toys (think dirty KONGs or slimy rubber/plastic toys), food scoops, and slow-feeder bowls!

Question 3

Can I use this for ceramic, plastic, and steel bowls?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can use this for bowls you own, whether that be ceramic, stainless steel, or plastic (various sizes allowed - see video on Product page for more details)!

Hygie can accommodate 4 bowls up to 7" diameter and 6 bowls up to 5" diameter. It also cleans your pets' toys (think dirty KONGs or slimy rubber/plastic toys), food scoops, and slow-feeder bowls!

Question 4

Can I clean dirty KONG toys and slimy rubber/plastic toys in this?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! No need to hand wash those peanut butter, yogurt, etc. filled KONGs by hand anymore! Just pop them into Hygie, and the device will do the rest for you.

It also cleans your pets' rubber/plastic toys, food scoops, and slow-feeder bowls!

Question 5

Will the UV damage me and my pet?

Accepted Answer

The clear lid for this machine will be made with materials that shield the UV light from harming us and our pets. Additionally, a safety mechanism will be in place to turn it off automatically when the lid has been removed.

Question 6

Does it work with wet food, raw diets, and water bowls?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Hygie is engineered to handle the bacteria associated with all sorts of food. Whether you feed dry kibble, wet food, raw diets, or just use it for the water bowl, the cleaning cycle is designed to eliminate 99.9% of biofilm bacteria.

Question 7

Does it really remove the "slime"?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That slime is the byproduct of bacterial colonies. Hygie first disrupts the biofilm (bacteria) layer with its powerful jets and then uses UV light to destroy 99.9% of bacteria. Hygie attacks the root cause of the slime, keeping the bowl fresh and clean between meals.

Question 8

Isn't dish soap and a sponge enough?

Accepted Answer

Standard dish soap and a sponge can be enough if used with hot water, but our hands cannot handle hot enough temperatures needed to kill bacteria, and would require us to manually scrub the bowls. Which is why the CDC also recommends bleaching bowls once per week.

And even worse, using your kitchen sponge and unclean sink can actually harbor and spread bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella from the bowl to your family's dishes.

Question 9

Can't I just use my dishwasher

Accepted Answer

You can, but veterinarians say that washing pet bowls with human dishes has a higher risk of cross-contamination — "Just pet bowls alone should be in the dishwasher, because if placed inside with human dishes there’s an increased risk for contamination of the plates, glasses and silverware we use at our table." — Ontario Veterinary College. Since bacteria from pet bowls can spread to humans, it could pose potential risks for pet owners.

Additionally, standard dishwashers run for 2–3 hours and don't often run on pet-eating schedules. Also, the high heat in dishwasher sanitize setting (which is recommended by the CDC if sanitizing pet bowls) can warp or degrade plastic and crack thin glass.

Hygie is a dedicated cleaning and sanitizing system that finishes the job in 20 minutes with zero risk to your pet and your family by eliminating cross-contamination.

Question 10

How big is it? I have limited counter space.

Accepted Answer

Hygie has a compact footprint, roughly the size of an air fryer. It is designed to tuck neatly under kitchen cabinets, sit on the floor next to your pets' bowls, or go near the laundry sink — the choices are endless!

Question 11

Is Hygie portable? Does it require plumbing?

Accepted Answer

Hygie is fully portable and requires no plumbing! It is as easy to use as a coffee machine.

Question 12

Is it battery-powered or does it plug in?

Accepted Answer

Hygie plugs into a standard wall outlet.

Question 13

Will this require water tanks?

Accepted Answer

There will be water tanks to allow you to place this machine anywhere you like! The idea is to make this experience as easy as using a coffee machine! The drawer is where the water tanks will be placed, allowing you to keep the water hidden!

Question 14

What detergent would be used?

Accepted Answer

We are still formulating our detergent tablets, but they will be pet safe, convenient, and priced similarly to detergent tablets in the market. The tablets used in the device need to be sized perfectly for Hygie as regular dishwasher detergent tablets are too big and will not work on as it will leave behind unrinsed detergent.

Frequently asked questions