We’re always careful to warn consumers about products that are crowdfunded because too often we’ve seen them turn into vaporware or cease technical or warranty support after a year or two but a new microscopic-level cleaning device called the Sonic Soak looks like it’s really coming to market.
Last time we checked in with the company, it had only raised about $4,000 of a $10,000 goal on Indiegogo but clearly, things have changed. The company now reports that it’s raised nearly $3 million off of the crowdfunding platform as well as another 118 million yen (a little over $1 million) on the crowdfunding site called Makuake in Japan, making the Sonic Soak the second-highest crowdfunded campaign in Japanese history.
“After such an incredible response from our backers and influencers on the web, we wanted to launch the Sonic Soak the right way — by ensuring availability to everyone who helped us make this happen,” Glen Gunawan, the founder of the company, said in a release. “We’re excited to announce that we are finally ready to fulfill our promise to our backers by shipping Sonic Soak worldwide.”
After fulfilling pre-orders at a price of $125, the Sonic Soak is available for order now at a launch price of $150. The company says that it’s now shipping Sonic Soak devices to consumers and can deliver worldwide.
As we previously reported, the Sonic Soak uses ultrasonic vibrations at a rate of 50,000 per second to clean down to the microscopic level, completely eliminating stains, odors and other blemishes that traditional washing machines or hand cleaners can’t purge.
Owners of the Sonic Soak simply add their item to a bowl of water and optional detergent or soap and press “start.” From there, the Sonic Soak’s 50-watt generator cleans and kills any bacteria, which makes it useful for items like delicate clothing, family heirlooms, food, personal hygiene accessories, tableware, and other household or personal items.
We also noted that this is a great piece of gear for travelers since it’s smaller and lighter than an iPhone and it’s even environmentally friendly since it uses up to 40 times less water than ordinary cleaning devices. Given the extremely high rate of its ultrasonic vibrations, it’s surprisingly quiet, generating sounds that we previously likened to “moderate rainfall.”
