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Fitted Sheets and the Broomtool

Fitted Sheets

Before the invention of fitted sheets, only clever forms of folding, like the hospital corner, would prevent sheets from slipping when weight was placed on a bed.Gisele Jubinville’s bedding invention is an updated version of a linen classic, the fitted sheet, designed to make the dreaded chore of making the bed all the more easy. Gisele saw a problem with her whites, finding that the sheets would often ride up the mattress and slip off the corners when any weight was placed on the bed.

Her ill-fitted sheets were an ongoing pet peeve, but it wasn’t until the Jubinville’s saw a news story about that very problem that she decided to do something about it.

Months of sewing and hundreds of yards of fabric later, Gisele came up with fitted sheets that met her expectations. The corners are bound with a special stitch to create deep pockets that grab a mattress and stay put; the sheets fit over a variety of materials and can be even modified so that only two corners are fitted.

The road to retail was a bumpy one; the American patent was turned down three times, and large companies dominated the market, making it near impossible for Gisele and her husband Len to market her invention independently. After approaching several businesses, the patent was sold to Springs Industries Inc., an American home furnishings company, for $1 million.

The Broomtool

For anyone who has ever has ever come across gum stuck to the floor, flipped the broom over to try and scrape it off only to have the handle snap, Gisele Jubinville has the answer to your problems. The Broomtool is a simple appliance, invented to strengthen handles and remove stubborn substances, such as mud or ice.

Patented in 1998, the device consists of a brace and scraper, secured to the head and handle of a push broom. Once attached, the blade extends down over the head so that debris may be scraped off a surface when the broom is inverted.

The Broomtool took second place at the 1998 Klondike innovation awards. Gisele and her husband Len are planning to manufacture and market their invention themselves.

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