Cheshire mum to expand babywear startup DribbleDry

An entrepreneur from Cheshire who stepped away from a career in media sales to launch a babywear startup has revealed plans to expand.

Mum-of-two Hannah Rayner quit her job at the Manchester Evening News last year to focus on DribbleDry, her own enterprise selling fully patented baby clothing that uses a combination of micro-fleece and bamboo fabric to take the moisture away from the garment, holding it until the item is washed.

While the company’s core products are bibs, T-shirts and babygrows, Hannah now intends to expand the range further to encompass new dresses, jumpers and a wider choice of designs.

Additionally, Hannah is hoping to create garments for people with disabilities and gain a foothold in the adult care home market.

The startup has already attracted celebrity endorsement since its launch, with former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas choosing DribbleDry for her daughter, Siera.

Imogen wrote on Twitter: “Here’s the princess home sweet home all relaxed in her new @dribbledry so happy this babygrow has arrived in time.”

Similarly Neil Clough, who appeared on the Apprentice, bought DribbleDry products for his daughter, Lucia.

Discussing her new venture, Hannah said: “I first had the idea in 2009 when my youngest son, Harry, who was two at the time, was dribbling heavily.

“He was dressed in a smart outfit but it was covered by a large wet patch, which looked awful. I then put a bib on him but that just hid his nice clothes.”

She added: “I just wanted a normal top that looks like a top but also acts like a bib, but when I searched there was nothing out there.”

Now, Hannah is in talks to become a supplier for a number of national retailers.

Speaking further, she said: “Babies all dribble and drool at some point in their early years. This can become worse during teething as they naturally produce more saliva.

“It’s all perfectly normal but saliva can cause dribble rash around the baby’s delicate chest area as it contains digestive enzymes that can irritate the skin. Soggy clothing isn’t comfortable for a baby and doesn’t look great either.”

Hannah added: “The microfleece top layer of the absorbent chest area wicks away moisture so the clothes don’t look or feel wet. The absorbent Bamboo layer also has anti-bacterial and odourless properties.”

Hannah lives in Holmes Chapel with her husband Scott and her sons Jack (15) and Harry (eight).