Whatever Happened To Grip Clean After Shark Tank?

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At first glance, the concept of using dirt to wash your hands seems like a contradictory combination. Yet one entrepreneur believed that this odd mix is the start of a million dollar brand. The product in question is called Grip Clean, an industrial soap made from natural ingredients. When used in tandem with a specialized dirt mixture, Grip Clean is able to get deep within your pores to remove excess grease and oil that would otherwise stay stuck in your skin. It contains the same grease-cutting capabilities of other industrial soap products out on the market without the chemical-heavy ingredients that have the potential to damage your skin.

Grip Clean was created by celebrated motocross rider Bryce Hudson. Hudson has plenty of experience getting his hands dirty, having rode motorcycles since age 13. He's since become a professional motocross rider and has competed in and won numerous X Games competitions. Wanting to find a solution to clean his grease-caked hands while working on his bikes, the California native taught himself how to develop his own brand of industrial soap from his garage. In April 2015, Hudson launched a Kickstarter campaign that managed to raise $10,258. Like his motorcycle stunts, Hudson hoped his idea will fly high with the legendary sharks of "Shark Tank," but will the celebrity investors find it to be a squeaky clean investment?

In "Shark Tank" Season 7, Bryce Hudson brings Grip Clean with hopes of securing an $85,000 investment for 20% of his company. He makes his presence known right away, riding a motorcycle into the tank and immediately catching the sharks' attention. Hudson explains what goes into the soap and the accompanying dirt clay mixture before Robert Herjavec gives it a try and finds himself enjoying it. 

The company is still in the pre-revenue stage, but Hudson has a handful of local motorcycle shops lined up to start selling. The item costs $2.12 to produce and is planned to be priced at $5 for wholesale and $8.99 for retail. The lowest cost Hudson sees the product being produced for is $1.25 if they scale to 10,000 units. The sharks don't see it as a feasible business model. They want to know what it would take to get costs down to $1 or less, to which Hudson estimates he'd need to order 20,000 units. Hudson aims to place his focus on the motorcycle industry given his expertise and name in the field. He's having trouble working with social media and selling online, as consumers would rather purchase such a product in the retail space.

While Hudson wants to scale the operation, he also wants to continue producing each unit on his own, which the sharks also don't find achievable. He has also had trouble finding manufacturers, as they feel that using dirt will contaminate space. One by one, the sharks go out, largely feeling that the business isn't investable yet. However, Lori Greiner sees the brand fitting within her product line and makes an offer for $85,000 at 35%. Without argument, Hudson takes the deal.

The deal with Lori Greiner and Bryce Hudson for Grip Clean did not end up going through, as a quick search through Greiner's "Shark Tank" catalogue on her website will prove. But even without the influence of the QVC Queen on his side, Hudson and company still had the "Shark Tank" effect to gain traction. Bryce's wife and business partner Kortney shared the experience in a YouTube video, saying, "We totally underestimated the powers of 'Shark Tank.' We aired on the show in November of 2015 and I think we sold out of product within 60 seconds." Their remaining sales had to placed as back orders, but the team made sure to keep in close touch with customers about the situation. All orders were fulfilled within three months. 

The coming years would bring Grip Clean another set of exciting inquiries. Early 2016 would see the company work with M&H Plastics as its new packaging supplier. Later that year, Grip Clean announced its newfound partnership with leading motorbike retailer Cycle Gear, which would go on to sell its products nationwide by February 2020. Other collaborations would follow with such industry titans as Advance Auto Parts, Cornwell Quality Tools, and Diesel Crate. Grip Clean began doing product testing in local Walmart stores in 2022 before being sold nationwide by April 2023.

It seems that Bryce Hudson's goal of scaling Grip Clean has more than come true in recent years. While initially promoting his brand of naturally made industrial hand soap on "Shark Tank," Hudson has since expanded Grip Clean's lineup significantly.  A trip to its website reveals the plentiful variety of items available such as soaps, rust removers, wipes, fingernail brushes, hand creams, and more. The company even held its own brand of dog shampoo, but it currently isn't available on any of its online storefronts. Grip Clean Heavy Duty Hand Soap and other various products can also be found on Amazon and at retailers such as Walmart, Lowes, and Sears. 

Grip Clean's lineup may have changed, but its quality, thankfully, hasn't. That majority of reviews across the board are largely positive, with its products receiving a 4.82 out of five star rating on Grip's website and a 4.6 average on its Amazon. People have commended the soap's effective cleaning capabilities, although a few have complained about the price point and the soap itself hardening and blocking the pump nozzle.

Those wanting to learn more about what Grip Clean has to offer can find all they need and then some by following the company's social media pages. In particular, they are active on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where the team shows off the capabilities of their products and presents tutorial videos. As of 2024, Grip Clean makes around $5 million in annual revenue with an estimated net worth of $3 million.

Grip Clean's success has allowed it to expand beyond simply selling hand soap. The company's website now offers three different formulas for cleaning household messes and dirty cars. The PowerSport wash cleans everything from bicycles to vehicles, while the FinishLine Ultra Shine adds a waxy polish to make everything glow like brand-new. On top of that, they sell the Heavy Duty Degreaser and Cleaner, which makes everything much less oily. The company has also begun marketing a hand soap line for use in cleaning up household messes outside of the garage along with office and classroom goop. Grip Clean has added hand cream, a hand care kit (complete with a nail brush), a wall-mounted dispenser, and hand wipes. The accessory group includes a foam cannon, wash bucket, and sponge. The company also unsuccessfully attempted to add other products to their line, like a grout cleaner.

But even with some failures, Grip Clean has introduced a lot of successful items, and they've all been selling well enough to keep the company's Amazon storefront busy. They're also still producing products for Advance Auto Parts, Walmart, and Grommet. The result is that the company is currently evaluated at $3 million, with viral marketing techniques that may be the key to its overall success.

Besides taking full advantage of the shine they got from their "Shark Tank" appearance, Grip Clean has managed to remain in the spotlight by becoming very shrewd in its online marketing, maintaining active accounts on most social media platforms.  The company has mastered using Instagram, Tik Tok (where it has over a million followers) and Facebook to create video reels that tend to go viral and do an excellent job pointing out how versatile its products are. There, they show off the fact  that Grip Clean is good for your hands, your dishes, your vehicles — even your shoes. Pitched as a substance-for-all-seasons, Grip Clean ends up looking like the wave of the future in each video.

It's no wonder it's become such a success, and that it's managed to make its way into so many brick and mortar stores since their "Shark Tank" days. It's the kind of marketing success most companies only dream of, and while Grip Clean never closed the deal with Lori, it's clear that its managed to forge a path all its own, and one that's led to great profits, leaving the company's financial future looking clean as a whistle.

Grip Clean has more than proven itself as a worthy competitor in the marketplace. With its line of successful partnerships and an ever-growing family of well-received products, Bryce Hudson's company shows no signs of slowing down as it heads into the future. And while there's no word of any specific plans to look forward to, Hudson and his team nevertheless remain committed to delivering the highest quality items possible.

Though it's since been taken down, the "About" page on Grip's official website used to contain a section sharing the brand's mindset as it moves forward. "We've got the throttle down to keep gear heads and garage junkies supplied with the best cleaning soaps and supplies out there," the statement read. "Despite our growth, we remain unwavering in our core values of being a family-owned, people-first company, of providing personal service to every customer, of creating the highest-quality products with zero compromises, and ensuring that our cleaners are as skin healthy as can be."

Given that Hudson appeared on "Shark Tank" selling Grip Clean as an industrial soap without any of the harsh chemicals of its competitors, staying true to this mission will be crucial in ensuring the company's time ahead. But with a dedicated leader behind the engine, there's no doubt that Grip Clean will continue forging a bright path.