Our Story
“I invented The Kick Switch not just for convenience,
but to improve the safety of my home.”
Years ago, in one of the apartments I lived in, I was washing the dishes. As the sink filled up, I reached out to turn on the garbage disposal. Little did I know that the switch was improperly wired, and the switch plate’s screw was electrified. I was also grabbing the metal sink with a wet hand. Once my other hand contacted the switch, a burst of unbridled electricity hit me like a Louisville Slugger. The 20 amps had thrown me clear to the floor, something no one should ever experience. Thankfully, I suffered no major injuries, but I was a lot more wary about touching switches with wet hands after that.
Later on in life, I saw a mushroom button on sale at a hardware store. With the events of the past lingering somewhere in my mind, I thought that I could avoid that past accident by making a garbage disposal switch that was nowhere near my wet hands. I bought the button, a few other parts, and after some careful construction, the first Kick Switch was born.
Unlike most of my creations, my wife absolutely loved it!
She loved the convenience of being able to turn on the garbage disposal without reaching for a switch with wet hands. She loved that fact that she did not have to hesitate whenever the sink stopped draining. She loved the simple, discrete design of The Kick Switch. The only problem was it cost me a lot of money to make it, so there was no way I could reasonably sell it.
After a few more years, my son returned from college. He and I have a love of inventing and putting things on the market. While discussing ideas, The Kick Switch came up. My wife’s adoration of the device had not diminished after all those years, and she urged us to make it our next project. So we got to work. We improved the design from a jerry-rigged electrical switch to the air-driven switch we are selling today (and now, the wireless design, too). Not only did this new design significantly reduce the cost, but it also made The Kick Switch easier to install.
Today, we want to improve kitchens all across America, and eventually the world, with the Kick Switch. We are working hard to turn the Kick Switch from a fledgling product to a staple in all households. So become a part of our story and make your pledge for your Kick Switch today!
— Desmond Brown
Inventor of the original Kick Switch
On the left is me, Desmond Brown. The goofy guy on the right is my son, Daniel Brown.