CITY FOCUS:Flush bathroom odors away

A Laguna Beach entrepreneur has been developing a product to combat an age-old foe — bathroom odor.

Greg Williams has partnered with business people across the country to create and distribute Courtesy Flush, a personal restroom deodorizer.

A few drops of Courtesy Flush in the toilet bowl before use saves the nostrils from an unwanted surprise, Williams said.

“People don’t talk about this subject but it’s something people worry about,” Williams said.

Williams said the Courtesy Flush is intended to eliminate embarrassment over using the facilities in public or in other people’s homes.

“Everyone who tries the products are impressed with how well they work,” Williams said.

Williams, an attorney by trade, started developing the idea about two years ago when he and friend Lance Stuart were talking about a similar product Stuart had seen in Japan. The idea took flight and the two partnered to create Courtesy Flush Inc.

Courtesy Flush is now set to be distributed by Scentco, a Georgia-based distributor of scented products. Courtesy Flush is set to hit the shelves of Long’s Drugs, and Bed, Bath and Beyond, as well as Sweet Bay in the Southeast as test markets.

Everything about Courtesy Flush is meant to be a convenience. The product is packaged in sleeves that are easy to set on any counter space. The Courtesy Flush bottle is small — about the size of eyedrops — and easily concealable and portable.

“Once you use it, you’re going to say this is a product that is unique,” Williams said.

The way it works is by using tea and bamboo extracts to dissolve odor and then creating an oily barrier at the toilet water surface. The barrier doesn’t allow obnoxious fumes to escape into the air, flushing the smell away.

It leaves behind a clean, sanitary smell. Williams said there is thought in the future about creating Courtesy Flush in different scents and styles.

“This thing’s not going to change the world, but it gives people something to rely on,” Williams said.