Written by Onega Ulanova, IRCA Lead Auditor, MS Eng. & Tech. Management, Executive MBA
Co-Founder, Quality Management Executive & Lead Auditor
Published August 10, 2026
Silicone product design is a materials problem before it is a shape problem. For Sponge-A-Ball the case had to be durable, body-safe, hygienic, and cheap enough for hotels to give away — while drying fast enough to avoid mold and mess in a guest's bag.
We worked with the Coral Springs company from the idea stage through design, prototyping, and manufacturing: evaluating material options and shore hardnesses, testing loofah retention methods, running user-experience checks on opening and closing, and timing how fast the ball dries.
Project at a glance
- Client
- Sponge-A-Ball, Coral Springs, Florida
- Industry
- Personal care and hospitality
- Starting point
- Idea stage — a travel-friendly hygiene product hotel guests could take home
- What we delivered
- Material and shore-hardness evaluation, design, prototypes, user testing, manufacturing
- Design decision
- Silicone rubber encasement around a mesh sponge, tested for drying time and mold prevention
- Outcome
- Product launched and shown as samples to large hospitality buyers
The client
The challenge
Our solution
The result
Hygiene product design at a glance
| Scope | Concept, ergonomics, CAD, prototypes, DFM, packaging |
|---|---|
| Constraints | Travel size, single-hand use, drying and hygiene, low unit cost |
| Deliverables | Production CAD, prototypes, molding package, retail packaging |
| Typical timeline | 4-9 months |
Small products have no room for error
A travel hygiene product competes on price and shelf space, so a few cents of resin and a millimeter of carton width matter. It also has to dry, resist bacteria and feel pleasant wet — requirements that push against the thin, cheap wall sections the cost target demands.
How we resolved it
We prototyped the grip and sponge retention until it worked wet and one-handed, then tuned geometry for uniform walls and clean ejection so tooling stayed simple. Packaging was designed at the same time, sized to a standard peg display and shipping carton so freight cost did not erase the savings.
Frequently asked questions
Can you design to a target unit cost?
Yes. We work backwards from your retail price and margin, and we tell you early if the target is unrealistic.
Do you select materials for skin contact?
We specify materials appropriate for personal care use and coordinate with suppliers on documentation.
Is packaging included?
Retail packaging, dielines and shipper sizing can be part of the same project.
Capabilities used on this project
Rapid prototyping services
3D printing, CNC machining, urethane casting and functional prototype builds with published materials, tolerances and lead times.
Design for manufacturing
Molding-ready geometry, tolerances, production drawings, assembly documentation and DFM review with the tooling vendor.
The silicone consumer product playbook
Shore hardness is the design decision
Feel, look, and feasibility all trace back to durometer. We evaluated multiple material options and shore hardnesses to find the combination that felt right in the hand and still molded affordably.
Retention without a mechanism
Several methods of securing the loofah inside the case were tested. The winning approach holds the sponge reliably without adding parts that raise cost or trap water.
Mold prevention is a geometry problem
We measured drying time directly. A hygiene product that stays wet becomes a mold product — so airflow and drainage shaped the case as much as aesthetics did.
Opening and closing, tested with real hands
User experience evaluations confirmed the ball opens and closes easily. A hotel amenity that frustrates a guest never leaves the bathroom counter.
| Requirement | Why it mattered | Design response |
|---|---|---|
| Body-safe, hygienic | Personal hygiene use | Material selection screened for safety |
| Fast drying | No mess or mold in a travel bag | Drying time measured and designed for |
| Affordable at volume | Hospitality giveaway economics | Moldable single-material case |
| Brandable | Hotels want their logo | Customization designed into the surface |
Questions about this project
Straight answers from the engineers who ran the build. Have a different question? Ask us directly.
Talk to an engineerHow much does silicone product design cost?
A silicone consumer product of this class typically runs $8,000 to $25,000 from concept through manufacturing-ready design, depending on how many material and hardness iterations are required.
How do you stop a wet hygiene product from growing mold?
By designing for drying time. We tested how fast the Sponge-A-Ball dries and shaped the case so water leaves rather than pools.
Can silicone products be branded for hospitality clients?
Yes — customization and branding were requirements from the start, which influenced both the material and the surface design.
What shore hardness should a silicone product use?
It depends on the feel and function. We evaluate several durometers physically, because hardness is something you judge in the hand, not on a spec sheet.
Industries this project belongs to
See how we approach development in each of these categories, and the other products we have taken from sketch to production there.
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