What inspired you to launch Seep, and how has the journey evolved so far?

Being diagnosed and then treated for breast cancer treatment a few years ago made me much more aware of the toxins in my home—including microplastics—and I became determined to remove as much plastic as possible from my daily life. At the same time, getting through that life-changing experience made me braver and more willing to take risks. I no longer had the same fear of failure, which gave me the confidence to take on something completely new and that had real meaning.

As I made changes in my home, I was frustrated by how limited my options were. I had already switched to eco-friendly cleaning sprays like Ecover and Method and started using recycled toilet roll, but when it came to cleaning tools—sponges, cloths, gloves—there was nothing. The supermarket shelves were full of plastic-heavy products that clog up landfill, never decompose, and shed harmful microplastics with every use. It made no sense that an industry focused on cleanliness was creating so much long-term waste. That’s when I decided to create a better alternative—one that was truly sustainable, effective, and that looked great next to people’s sinks.

Seep started as a direct-to-consumer brand, but after being accepted onto the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, we expanded into retail. Independent shops picked us up, then Oxfam, and now we’re stocked in Lakeland, Robert Dyas, Booths, Wholefoods Market, and, most recently, Ocado and Tesco.

Our mission is clear: to prevent 1 billion plastic cleaning products from ending up in landfill by 2030. To achieve that, we need to make sustainable choices mainstream and accessible. Appearing on Dragons’ Den in January was a huge moment for us—nerve-wracking but transformative. I was incredibly lucky to gain the backing of Deborah Meaden and Trinny Woodall, two powerhouse investors who truly understand both sustainability and brand growth. With their support, we’re excited to take Seep to the next level.

What challenges have you faced in disrupting the traditional cleaning tools market?

It’s been really challenging to design products that work just as well as the traditional version but with materials that are designed to decompose. It took lots of consumer trials and we’ve made so many improvements over the years to make sure they perform despite being made of sustainable materials.

Secondly, price is also a key challenge as we want to make sure that sustainable products are cost effective for consumers. We have worked hard to get our prices as low as possible, to source materials that are plastic free, that can be made at scale and work just as well as their plastic counterparts. 

Finally, cleaning products are not seen as a sexy category for investors. So, it has been a challenge encouraging investors to come on board and persuade them that the products do need to change and there is a huge opportunity for eco friendly alternatives. It is also a commonly known fact that less than 2% of the available investment goes to female founded businesses. Women tend to invest in women but there are fewer female investors out there, so it has been a challenge to continue to secure investment to grow the team to help grow the business. 

Can you tell us more about the Sky Zero Footprint Fund and what this award means for Seep?

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund is something we have been awarded to help amplify our positive environmental impact with a £20,000 TV advertising campaign. It was set up by Sky to empower small businesses that are making a difference by supporting their sustainability missions. The Seep, plastic-free message will reach highly targeted local audiences across a range of Sky’s channels so we’re hoping that it will drive transformative change and encourage more people to switch to eco friendly products. Or at least consider more carefully what plastic items they are using in their homes. 

This initiative is part of Sky’s ongoing commitment to contribute to a low-carbon economy and continued commitment to championing sustainable behaviours and businesses. 

This support from Sky means the world to us. As a start-up, a TV campaign is something we would only be able to consider in a number of years’ time so to have the chance for one now is incredible.

How do Seep’s products contribute to sustainability, and what sets them apart from conventional cleaning tools?

Seep’s products are all either home compostable or endlessly recyclable so don’t clog up landfill. They are 100% plastic free and work just as well, if not better, than traditional plastic ones. 

We use materials such as loofah, bamboo, wood cellulose and cotton that is recycled from the fashion industry for our sponges and cloths. Our rubber gloves are made from natural, FairTrade rubber which is FSC certified.

Their customers say that their eco sponge with scourer lasts three – four times longer than the plastic yellow and green ones and they are home compostable at the end of their lives so are a great alternative. The sponge cloths absorb up to 13 times its weight in water and replace up to 15 rolls of kitchen towel, again saving resource as well as cost for consumers. 

All Seep products also produce less carbon during manufacturing than traditional plastic cleaning tools, another great contribution to sustainability. 

What are your long-term goals for Seep, and how do you see the future of sustainable home care products?

The long term goal for Seep is to encourage more consumers to switch to eco friendly products throughout the home and move away from plastic materials like polyester and polyurethane as things need to be replaced. Short term, we’re on a mission to stop 1bn plastic cleaning tools from going into landfill by 2030. So far, we have diverted 3.5M items (10.1 tonnes) since our launch. 

We can get to this goal by scaling in retail and by reaching more customers through making people aware that there is something better out there through our marketing channels. I want more people to understand the issue of microplastics and move away from plastic for things that need to be replaced regularly as this will help the environment as well as hopefully our health. 

I also hope that we can develop better and better cleaning tools that make the most of the new plastic-free materials that are starting to come on to the market