Travel agent Robbie Stanfield had been running her travel firm New Luggage — centered on group travel for women of color — for a few years when the coronavirus pandemic became widespread throughout the U.S. and all travel came to a screeching halt.
A lot of her clients’ travel plans were canceled, as well as her own.
That’s when Stanfield decided to create something to help customers feel safe enough to travel, as well as help sanitize their areas while on the go.
She came up with Scumbag, a travel sanitizing kit that has everything in one place.
Stanfield, creator of the D.C.-based online company, said she “wanted to think of everything that might get dirty during travel.”
Each kit contains hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial travel wipes, a security tray cover, cleansing towelettes and a list of tips to help travelers navigate high-germ areas.
Stanfield said the drop in her travel business pushed her to pivot and create something to help by creating products to help people when they travel.
She said customers appreciate the kit’s items, especially parents and those traveling for the upcoming holidays: “A lot of moms who are super-aware of the spaces that their children are in — they want to make sure that they travel clean with young children.”
“A lot of people are buying for family members who are in different places,” Stanfield said.
Stanfield said one customer appreciated the ease of having everything together, especially for the upcoming holidays, telling her their family was traveling for the first time this Thanksgiving — and purchased 10 Scumbags.
Stanfield said the security bin covers are a bestseller for travelers navigating through airports: “The security bins get super dirty and they are not often cleaned at all. People are really excited about [the bin covers].
“Just those moments that we’ve included in the kit for people to have every step of the journey is really helpful to them.”
