Jill Morin walked onto the carpet in Season 12 of Shark Tank with a microfiber towel and a vision that most people probably found a little ridiculous at first. Let's be real. It’s a cloth you put lettuce in and swing around like a lasso. It sounds like something from a late-night infomercial in 1994, but the Salad Sling Shark Tank episode actually highlighted a very specific, annoying problem that every home cook deals with: soggy greens.
Traditional salad spinners are bulky. They take up half a cabinet. They’re a nightmare to clean because of those weird plastic gears and the bulky bowls that never seem to dry properly. Jill’s pitch was essentially an argument for minimalism. She wasn't just selling a towel; she was selling the idea that we’ve over-complicated one of the simplest tasks in the kitchen.
What Actually Happened During the Salad Sling Shark Tank Pitch?
Jill Morin entered the Tank seeking $100,000 for 20% of her company. It’s always a gamble when you bring a "gadget" to the Sharks, especially one that looks like a basic textile product. Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, and Robert Herjavec were the ones sitting in the chairs that day.
The demo was high-energy. Jill showed how you wash your greens, lay them in the center of the reversible microfiber Sling, grab the handles, and give it a literal whirl. Centrifugal force pushes the water out of the leaves and into the absorbent inner layer of the cloth. The Sharks were skeptical. Honestly, they usually are when the product has a relatively low price point and high competition from established kitchen brands like OXO.
Kevin O'Leary, true to form, questioned the "moat" around the business. He wanted to know what stopped anyone from just using a regular kitchen towel. Jill’s counter-argument was smart: a regular towel leaks water everywhere when you shake it, and it doesn't have the waterproof barrier or the specific ergonomic handles required to build enough speed to actually dry the lettuce.
The Financials and the Shark Interaction
At the time of filming, the Salad Sling had some decent traction but wasn't a category killer yet. Jill had invested a significant amount of her own money—around $60,000—to get the prototypes and initial inventory moving.
The Sharks started dropping out for various reasons. Mark Cuban didn't see it as a "platform" business. Robert felt it was too niche. But Lori Greiner, the "Queen of QVC," saw the "hero" potential. She knows a demonstrable product when she sees one. However, the deal didn't go exactly as Jill might have hoped in a dream scenario. Lori offered $100,000 but wanted a massive 40% stake.
Jill tried to negotiate. It was tense. She countered at 35%, then 33%. Lori stood firm at 40%. Eventually, Jill took the deal. Why? Because having Lori Greiner in your corner for a kitchen product is basically a golden ticket to retail shelves and television shopping networks.
Why the Design Matters More Than You Think
The Salad Sling isn't just a rag. It uses a three-layer laminate technology. The inner layer is a high-absorbency microfiber that wicks moisture off the surface of the kale or arugula. The middle layer is a waterproof barrier. This is the "secret sauce" because it prevents the water from spraying all over your kitchen walls while you’re swinging it.
If you've ever tried the "towel method" where you roll up lettuce and shake it, you know the struggle. Your shirt gets wet. Your floor gets wet. The Salad Sling solves that.
- Compact Storage: It folds up and fits in a silverware drawer.
- BPA-Free: It's food safe, which is a major concern for modern consumers.
- Machine Washable: You just toss it in the laundry. No scrubbing plastic vents with a toothbrush.
People often underestimate the "annoyance factor" of kitchen gear. Most of us have a "graveyard" of kitchen gadgets—spiralizers, egg poachers, and yes, massive salad spinners—that we never use because they're too much work to clean. The Salad Sling hits that sweet spot of being low-effort.
Life After Shark Tank: Did the Deal Close?
Here is where things get interesting in the world of reality TV business. As many fans know, a "handshake deal" on the air doesn't always mean the money hits the bank account. Following the Salad Sling Shark Tank appearance, the company saw the typical "Shark Tank Effect." Sales spiked. The product sold out on Amazon almost immediately.
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However, many reports indicate that the formal deal with Lori Greiner did not actually close after the due diligence phase. This is incredibly common. Sometimes the founder decides the equity give-up is too high once they see the post-show sales numbers. Sometimes the Shark discovers something in the supply chain they don't like.
Regardless of the deal status, Jill Morin kept the momentum. The product is still widely available. It’s featured on major retail sites and has maintained a very solid 4-plus star rating across thousands of reviews. That tells you the product actually works; it wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan TV moment.
Addressing the Skepticism: Is It Just a "Lasso Towel"?
I've seen the comments. "Just use a paper towel!" Or, "I'll just shake my colander."
Sure, you could do that. But you're likely leaving moisture on the leaves. Moisture is the enemy of salad dressing. If your lettuce is wet, the oil and vinegar just slide off and pool at the bottom of the bowl. It's gross. To get restaurant-quality salad, the leaves must be bone-dry so the dressing can emulsify and stick to the surface.
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The Salad Sling achieves a level of dryness that's hard to get without a mechanical spinner, but it does it without the plastic waste or the storage headache.
The Sustainability Angle
We should talk about the environmental impact, too. People who are trying to reduce their use of paper towels find this a huge win. If you're washing salad three nights a week and using four paper towels each time, that adds up. Over a year, that's a lot of trash. A reusable microfiber sling that lasts for years is a much better play for the eco-conscious cook.
How to Get the Best Results with Your Salad Sling
If you've bought one because of the Salad Sling Shark Tank hype, or you're thinking about it, there’s a bit of a technique.
- Don't Overload It: If you cram two heads of Romaine in there, the leaves in the middle stay wet. Do it in smaller batches.
- The "Big Circle" Swing: You need actual centrifugal force. A little wiggling won't do it. You need to give it a full, arm-length swing.
- Wash It Right: Don't use fabric softener. Fabric softener coats the fibers in a waxy film that makes them less absorbent. Just use regular detergent and hang it to dry or tumble dry on low.
The Business Reality of Kitchen Gadgets
The kitchenware market is brutal. You're competing against giants like Newell Brands (which owns basically everything) and OXO. For a small business like Salad Sling to survive post-Shark Tank without the massive backing of a Shark (if the deal indeed fell through) is impressive. It suggests that the product has found a "cult" following among people with small kitchens—think NYC apartments or van-life enthusiasts.
In the 2020s, we’ve seen a shift away from "unitaskers" that take up space. The "Anti-Hoarding" movement and the rise of "Core" aesthetics mean people want fewer, better things. The Salad Sling fits perfectly into this trend. It’s a tool that performs a specific task but disappears when you're done with it.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Kitchen
If you're tired of soggy salads but hate your bulky spinner, here is how to move forward:
- Audit Your Space: Look at your "tupperware cabinet." If your salad spinner is the reason you can't find your matching lids, it’s time to replace it with a textile-based solution like the Sling.
- Dryness Test: Next time you make a salad, dry your greens your "usual" way, then press a dry paper towel against them. If it comes away wet, your dressing is being diluted.
- Invest in Quality Microfiber: If you aren't ready to buy the branded Salad Sling, look for high-gsm (grams per square meter) microfiber towels for your kitchen, but be prepared for the "spray" factor if they don't have the waterproof laminate.
- Support Original Inventors: The market is currently flooded with knock-offs of the Salad Sling. If you want the version that actually has the food-safe barrier and the reinforced handles that won't snap mid-swing, stick with the original seen on the show.