Evolution of Water Purifiers... "Effortless Home Disinfection with Electrolyzed Sterilized Water"

[Interview] Cheon Seung-guk, Head of Marketing Team at Cuckoo

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon]

Cuckoo In&Out 10'S direct flow water purifier and sterilized water dispensing valve. Photo by Cuckoo

"No harsh chemical additives like bleach are used. This is cutting-edge technology that electrolyzes the water we use to create natural disinfectants. You can safely wash not only children's toys but also vegetables, fruits, and rice with this pure sterilized cooking water." (Cheon Seung-guk, Cuckoo Marketing Team Leader)

In these days when even a drop of hand sanitizer is precious, water purifiers that allow unlimited use of bacteria and virus sterilized water with peace of mind are gaining popularity. The home appliance company Cuckoo Homesys has enhanced the bacteria and virus sterilization function in its water purifier 'In&Out'.

The average daily sales of the In&Out water purifier in February increased by 32% compared to January before the spread of COVID-19. In&Out is on a different level from water purifiers that simply supply drinking water. With just the push of a button, it dispenses clean electrolyzed sterilized water that transforms into a disinfectant to clean not only ingredients but also various places around the house.

When connected to the sink, the sterilized water dispensed from the purifier can also be used as cooking water. By opening the cooking water valve inside the sink, you can easily sterilize and wash fruits and vegetables with pesticide residues, tableware, and baby bottles.

There is also a method of putting the sterilized water into a spray bottle and spraying it on toys, door handles, mobile phones, keyboards, mice, and remote controls that consumers frequently touch, then wiping them clean.

Seungguk Cheon, Head of Marketing Team at Cuckoo

Cheon Seung-guk, who led the development and marketing of the direct-sterilized water purifier, explained, "Cuckoo's In&Out uses advanced technology that electrolyzes clean water (H2O) filtered through a filter to produce natural sterilizing substances (OH-, HOCL, etc.). Especially, the sterilized water containing hypochlorous acid (HOCL) generated by electrolysis removes more than 99.9% of common bacteria such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella, and its disinfecting ability has been verified by the Korea Environmental Water Research Institute." He added that the chlorine concentration of the sterilized water, which is generated by electrolysis, is adjusted to 2-3 ppm, lower than that of regular tap water (4 ppm), making it safe for drinking.

The structure that allows sterilization and cleaning of even the faucet where water comes out is a technology unique to the In&Out direct water purifier. The faucet is exposed outside and can easily become contaminated by various dust and bacteria in daily life. Using the dedicated sterilization cup provided with the purifier installation, you can sterilize and care for it cleanly without touching it by using electrolyzed sterilized water during cleaning. After sterilization, additional cleaning water is used to thoroughly remove microorganisms and water stains, and you can directly check the cleaning status through the sterilization cup.

Cheon said, "As a direct water purifier that sterilizes both inside and outside by itself, it is optimized for self-care products where consumers only need to replace the filter without requiring a maintenance technician to clean it separately. Even without frequent visits from maintenance technicians, the main unit has self-cleaning capabilities, making it perfect for the current social distancing period."

Cuckoo, which has researched, produced, and sold rice cookers for 40 years, entered the water purifier rental business in 2010. By the end of last year, Cuckoo surpassed 2.41 million rental accounts domestically and internationally (1.58 million domestic, 830,000 overseas), gaining an advantage in the competition for second place in the rental industry. Currently, Cuckoo, SK Magic, and LG Electronics are engaged in a three-way battle for second place in the rental market. While Cuckoo trails LG Electronics (2 million) and SK Magic (1.81 million) in domestic accounts alone, it has achieved visible results earlier in overseas markets such as Malaysia, placing it second overall in total domestic and international accounts.

Cheon said, "Based on the trust built over 40 years of making rice cookers, we will develop products that resonate most with customers to differentiate ourselves from other companies. Rather than a strategy to increase sales volume quickly through marketing, we will create products that customers can trust the most."