Consumers, Beware: 
Shopping Carts More Germy than Public Restrooms*

Bay Area based Clean Cart Systems has an easy,
affordable and environmentally friendly solution

Arkansas Representative Fred Allen to visit the Clean Cart Showroom on Jan. 27, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.
Arkansas is the first state to legislate shopping carts cleanliness

San Francisco, CA., (Monday, January 25, 2010)., Shopping carts making us sick? It’s a frightening reality but there are solutions that retailers can do to make consumers safe.  According to a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona, shopping carts are loaded with more saliva, bacteria and fecal matter than escalators, public telephones and bathrooms.  “Your putting your broccoli where your child’s rear end resided,” noted Dr. Chuck Gerba, better known as Dr. Germ, from the University of Arizona Research Project*.  “We know that just because something is clean it doesn’t make it sanitary.  That’s why we built our Clean Cart Systems, we wanted to protect consumers and our most ‘precious cargo,’ our children,” stated John Fanourgiakis, President of Clean Cart System.
Based in Burlingame, California, Clean Cart Systems was developed by four innovative brothers from the Bay Area in 2004.  It is a high tech solution for retailers that is affordable, easy to use and supports green technology. With public awareness rising, Clean Cart developed a product that cleans and sanitizes the entire cart.  “When we first began, we would spray the carts weekly or use sanitary wipes.  But that didn’t solve the big problem.  How do you daily clean the
carts that consumers use?” noted John Fanourgiakis. “We were just adding to landfills with the addition of sanitary wipes and without daily cleaning, the problem wasn’t been addressed.  That’s when we developed our Clean Cart System.  Currently, the machines are installed in a number of Bay Area retailers.  At Clean Cart, our goal is to expand beyond our small niche.”  Vice-President Nick Fanourgiakis also added, “We are offering a service to help protect the public from bacteria and germs.  And, we’ve made it very cost effective and easy to use.  All the store has to do is slip a cart into our machine, shut the door, hit the button and in less than 20 seconds, the cart has been cleaned.  The cost, especially to large chain stores, is less than a penny a cart.  That’s a small price to pay for piece of mind.”
In an attempt to educate the public nation wide, Clean Cart Systems has turned to the State of Arkansas for their help by inviting Arkansas Representataive Fred Allen (D) to visit their headquarters on January 27, 2010.  Allen’s 2007 Arkansas Health-Conscious Shopper Program was the first law in the nation making it mandatory that retailers provide clean shopping carts for their patrons, for example, by encouraging businesses to voluntarily offer sanitary wipes to their customers.  “We wanted to increase the awareness in our state and around the country that young children are at greatest risk when you put your child in a shopping cart full of germs and bacteria.”   Along with Rep. Allen, members of California’s State Assembly and Senate, local city officials and the Department of Health have been invited to witness the system at their showroom on January 27 from 10:30 until noon.
Clean Cart puts the environment first by teaming up with Planet Products.  The clean cart washer system uses certified biodegradable cleaning solutions and the water waste doesn’t drain into the Bay but instead is properly discharged to waste-treatment facilities. 

For more information about Clean Carts and to see a video of the product in use, log on to www.cleancartsystems.com. 


Media Alert:


Shopping Carts More Germy than Public Restrooms

Bay Area based Clean Cart Systems to conduct product demonstration with Ark. State Rep. Fred Allen, the Department of Health and other invited officials



WHAT:Shopping carts have been shown to harbor over 2 million colony forming units, comprised of bacteria such as e-coli, salmonella, staph as well as other germs.  Clean Cart Systems provides a safe, easy and cost-efficient means to clean shopping carts.  Clean Cart systems, along with Rep. Fred Allen will display their cleaning machine, along with presenting valuable information from the University of Arizona study on Shopping Cart Contamination, the Arkansas Law and solutions that can be applied in California and nation wide.

WHO:Arkansas State Representative Fred Allen, along with State and local city officials, the Health Department and Clean Cart Systems

WHEN:Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. to noon

WHERE:Clean Cart Systems Showroom
700 Airport Blvd, Ste. 130, Burlingame, CA

CONTACT:Diane Kounalakis
415-987-0291

Press Release: Consumers Beware!