Many inventions are born of frustration. There are the people who will take the frustration for granted, and there are the people who will decide to do something about it. Jill Visit is the latter. Jill loves making salads for her family, but was annoyed by needing to get the cumbersome salad spinner down from the top shelf and then take it apart to wash it afterward—by hand, because it’s too big for the dishwasher. It would be more trouble than it’s worth, except for the wet greens that repel oil-based dressings, the pool of diluted dressing in the bottom of the bowl, and the salads that wilt too quickly.
One day, as Jill was about to get out the spinner, she saw a clean dish towel and decided to experiment. She packed her greens into the towel, gathered up the corners, and flung it around in a circle. The centrifugal force pulled the moisture away from the leaves and into the fabric. The greens came out nice and dry; she and the kitchen were splattered with the excess water. But it was a start. She just needed to work on her idea more. And work on it she did—for more than two years and countless prototypes. She needed to find the exactly right materials, the exactly right size and shape. Once she had perfected the design and the packaging, she started her company, Mirloco, to produce and market the Salad Sling.
- The patented design saves cabinet space and is lightweight, less awkward to handle, easier to wash and less expensive than your everyday salad spinner.
- Jill upgraded the towel material to a super-absorbent microfiber of polyester and nylon to pull the moisture from the greens and an inner waterproof polyester liner to keep the moisture contained as you sling. A laminate of polyurethane makes up the third layer. The materials are BPA free and meet all FDA and California Prop 65 safety standards.
- The 30″ x 30″ size is large enough to dry a bunch of greens, a head of lettuce, a bag or clamshell of salad, as well as herbs, vegetables and fruits.
- Folded up, the sling is 4” x 4” x 11” for easy storage.
- Even if you get carried away slinging, you can’t damage the greens that are safely cradled in the sling.
- Let the kids sling and they’ll have more fun eating salads.
The Salad Sling was selected by WBUR, a public radio station owned by Boston University, as one of their “Eco-Friendly, Affordable Gadgets for a Greener Kitchen.”
How to Use the Salad Sling
- Lay the sling out flat.
- Rinse the greens and shake off excess moisture.
- Place the wet greens in the center of the sling.
- Gather up the four handles in one hand to make a pouch.
- Swing in a wide circle (pretend it’s a lariat) for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Open the pouch, lay it out flat, pat dry to remove any remaining droplets.
- Have another batch to do? Just flip the sling over and repeat; the reverse side will be completely dry.
- When you are finished, hang the sling from the fabric loop to air dry or toss it into the washer with like colors (but without bleach or fabric softener) and dry on low.
Jill Visit, Salad Sling Inventor
Jill has been tapping into her creative talents since she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in advertising, including being a part of the Texas Creative Sequence, a program for the best and the brightest aspiring creatives. She was Global Creative Director for Whole Foods and essential to establishing their brand, one of the most recognizable in the country. She also was part of the team that built Energy Star, Gillette and Duracell brands. Today, she is Head of Creative at WorldStrides, the nation’s largest travel organization, having helped 400,000 students travel to 100 different countries.
Jill is surrounded by creativity at home also. Her husband Chris is a graphic designer and lecturer in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University. Their two young daughters, for now, are working mostly in glitter and hearts.
