At The Inspired Home Show, buyers and influencers enjoy trying out new products and spending time with the Scrub Daddy team, including founder Aaron Krause.
Each year at The Inspired Home Show, buyers get hands-on, face-to-face time with some of the biggest legacy brands to some of the smallest — but savviest — start-ups.
A well-known and well-loved brand that always draws a crowd? We caught up with the team at Scrub Daddy to learn more about their secret sauce, what they’re working on, and what buyers can expect in the coming year. (Hint: A healthy balance of personality, performance, and more innovative new products.)
Scrub Daddy has come a long way since the invention of the original hand scrubber in 2006. What do you attribute your success to?
We try to keep things simple by creating products that work well and that people genuinely enjoy using. Every sponge, scrubber, and cleaning tool is thoughtfully designed by our innovation team to solve a real problem people face at home. Whether it’s a sponge that changes texture with water temperature or a mesh that won’t scratch a nonstick pan, we focus on solving genuine needs while making cleaning more enjoyable. The success of our social media platforms, along with our continued investment in advertising, has also played an important role in building brand awareness and driving our growth. When you combine meaningful innovation with engaging marketing, the growth comes naturally.
From early exposure on Shark Tank and QVC to recent success on TikTok and Instagram, Scrub Daddy is known for its marketing and media savvy. How is this important to your brand story and sales growth?
We’re not just a cleaning brand – we’re a brand that makes cleaning fun. Shark Tank gave us our origin story, and QVC taught us how to sell, but social media is where the brand really resonated with our consumers. By creating entertaining content around cleaning, we’ve built a company that goes beyond traditional advertising. Our team focuses on creating content people genuinely want to watch while building meaningful relationships with influencers and fans who already love the brand. This approach has helped us grow a community of 4.4 million followers on TikTok in the U.S. People don’t just buy Scrub Daddy. They engage with the brand, share our content, and become part of the community.
Aaron Krause himself is a social media influencer favorite at The Inspired Home Show. What’s it like having such a widely recognized CEO, and how is influencer marketing important to your year-round strategies?
Aaron is still the same enthusiastic businessman who pitched our signature smiling scrubber on Shark Tank. Having a founder who people recognize and trust reinforces the genuine personality behind the brand. Aaron remains very involved in our social content and advertising, and we love continuing to feature him as the face of Scrub Daddy because his energy, humor and personality are such an authentic reflection of who we are.
Influencer marketing isn’t a campaign we turn on and off – it’s built into how we operate year-round. We put real effort into fostering relationships with creators who genuinely love and want to support Scrub Daddy because that enthusiasm resonates with audiences.
Speaking of the Show, how does it help you meet your business goals?
The Inspired Home Show has become one of those can’t-miss moments on our calendar. Our goals have evolved – what started as us getting in front of buyers and telling our story has grown into a bigger stage where we get to show off new categories, new collaborations, and new innovation, and get real-time reactions from the retail and buyer community that knows this space best. It’s part trade show, part family reunion.
You had many new products on display at the 2026 event – from licensed products to line extensions and new ventures. What kind of feedback did you get?
Attendees showed interest in several of our new products, including Scour Mommy, which responds to growing demand for scouring products that won’t scratch most surfaces and Eraser Mommy, a durable, dual-sided eraser that is independently lab-tested to last twice as long as leading competitors. Our new Toilet Scrubbing System also stood out for its mess-free design and dissolvable cleaning tablets. Overall, we received encouraging feedback across all the new items on display.
What’s Scrub Daddy got on tap for the rest of the year and at the 2027 Show?
We have a great deal of innovation in the pipeline for the rest of 2026, both within our core sponge and scouring categories and across other areas of our business, including cleansers, dishwands, brushes and more. We’re also thrilled to begin launching our Scrub Baby line toward the end of 2026 and into 2027, responding to the consistent requests we receive on social media for a Scrub Daddy baby bottle brush. At the 2027 Show, we’re looking forward to bringing even more new ideas to the floor and continuing to strengthen our relationships with retail partners face-to-face.
One thing about Scrub Daddy you wish more people knew?
The fun is backed by real research and development. Behind every smiley face is an innovation team constantly exploring new materials and product ideas, then rigorously testing them in our lab to ensure they meet the highest quality standards. The personality may draw people in, but the product’s performance is what keeps them coming back.
Tip for first-time buyers attending the Show?
Wear comfortable shoes and bring an open mind. Some of the best conversations happen when you stop at a booth you weren’t planning to visit.
Scrub Daddy Products: Scrub Baby Bristle Brush, Eraser Mommy and the Scrub Daddy Toilet Scrubbing System.