Simply Soothing now selling hand sanitizer

COLUMBUS JUNCTION - When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the staff at Simply Soothing in Columbus Junction knew they had to do something to help. Due to FDA regulations, they were unable to make their own hand sanitizer but by teaming up with another Iowa company, they have been bottling and selling the sanitizer for the last month in order to keep customers safe.

'When this broke out, what little bit we had left sold out in one day on the website,” said Freda Sojka, CEO/Owner. The company known for its product Bug Soother made its own sanitizer in the past but discontinued to do so after regulations tightened.

At the start of the pandemic, the regulations loosened, prompting Sojka and staff to look into making it once more. However, an alcohol shortage prevented the company from being able to move forward with the plan.

While talking through the dilemma with one of her distributors, Sojka was informed Mississippi River Distillery in Le Clair was making sanitizer. After speaking with the owner, she said, Simply Soothing was able to purchase sanitizer from the distillery and bottle it in Columbus Junction.

'Most of the brands out there made by distilleries are the same sanitizer because it's the same formula,” she said, ensuring the quality is high.

The green bottles normally used for Bug Soother have been repurposed for sanitizer. Finding bottles has been a challenge, she said, because manufacturers have not been able to ship them in time due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Sojka said the product is mainly sold in Iowa but is shipped all over the United States. Between the website and wholesale, the team has had hard time keeping the product on shelves.

Since it began making sanitizer in early April, Sojka said the company has been bottling about 3,500 products a day.

'It seems like we've been doing it forever but its only been a short amount of time,” she said.