Meet NOVO Duffel: A smart bag that eliminates germs and sanitizes clothes right inside your bag

Doing laundry is a time-consuming hassle most people dread, but NOVO Duffel is a convenient way to refresh items on the go. This waterless, eco-friendly cleaning system uses ionization to help sanitize in style, eradicating viruses, bacteria, fungus, and odor from everyday apparel, workout clothes, and sports gear that are notorious for their foul odors.

Studies found that 70 percent of laundry dirt is caused by body soils that are invisible to the eye, such as sweat, skin cells, and salt. That’s why the founders of Novo decided to create NOVO Duffel, a smart bag that eliminates all the germs and odors for you.

NOVO Duffel provides an easy way to refresh athletic apparel, sports gear, and clothing packed for the gym, a quick business trip, or a weekend getaway. The patented technology sanitizes items without the need for water, chemicals, or cleaning equipment. NOVO™ also revitalizes clothes in between washes to help extend the fabric’s lifespan.

It all started in 2015 when Aram J. Razouki (AJ) was a student working on his engineering Capstone design project. He later decided to start a company called DRESSFRESH. Through research, AJ found that most items weren’t very dirty after a single use and didn’t need to be fully cleaned or laundered each time.

AJ invented the DRESSFRESH® technology featured inside NOVO™ Duffel that is capable of killing germs and neutralizing odors on hard-to-clean items and materials, without using water or chemicals. In 2017, AJ moved his company from Calgary, Canada to San Diego, California. DRESSFRESH® was named a Top 10 startup by StartUp San Diego last year, and the patented refreshing technology has been featured in Yahoo!, SD Voyager, and CBC News.

“We all have shirts, shorts, shoes, sports bras, compression shorts, and socks that get stinky from all the hard work we put in. For me, there’s no escaping that part of the job,” said Bryce Smith, CrossFit Invictus Trainer, and Athlete. “The NOVO Duffel bag has a built-in smart process that refreshes and sanitizes your clothes, workout gear, and accessories. What a great tool at a time like this to keep you and your gear clean so you can safely continue to perform at a high level.”

While NOVO™ Duffel doesn’t remove dirt or stains, items that are merely stinky and worn can be refreshed inside the bag. Place dry, soiled items inside the duffel and zip it closed. The NOVO™ refreshing system supercharges the air in the bag creating ionized oxygen that kills anything living at the microbial level. The air is then run through a lightly scented filter cartridge to remove the remaining gasses and byproducts leaving everything inside refreshed.
NOVO™ Duffel is powered by a rechargeable battery that can be fast-charged in four hours.

The DRESSFRESH® Connect app allows consumers to select one of four cleaning cycles, all shorter than an hour, depending on the items placed inside. Notifications in the app alert users when the filter cartridge or battery are low. NOVO™ Duffel has two built-in fast charging ports, a USB-C and USB for electronics, in its external side pocket. NOVO™ Duffel’s exterior is made from durable weatherproof material, ideal for travel. The system does not need to be removed from the bag for TSA and can easily be used as a carry-on. Airtight zippers facilitate the performance of the cleaning process and were selected to endure years of daily use. To pre-order a NOVO™ Duffel, visit their Kickstarter page.

Today, the DRESSFRESH® team is working hard to drive change where it matters, reducing our environmental impact. By choosing to reduce, reuse and refresh, people save on the energy and chemicals required for cleaning those items with today’s current methods. Individuals also help extend the life of their favorite items so they last longer. The team is working hard to protect our most valuable resource on planet Earth: water.

The team is developing waterless cleaning technology that can reduce the amount of laundry, dry-cleaning, and chemicals people consume. The excessive use of these cleaning methods is increasing our footprint on planet Earth. Help conserve water and the oceans by choosing to refresh. Join the DRESSFRESH® revolution to drive cleaning awareness together.

Below is a video of NOVO Duffel in action.