Patience and ingenuity has led a Windsor man to invent a home sanitizing system that was named this week by Time Magazine as one of the top inventions of 2006.

Using an electrical charge to infuse tap water with ozone, the system acts as a natural powerful sanitizer and removes the need for chemical use in the home.

Steve Hengsperger, who almost five years ago embarked on inventing a new water purification system, happened on the sanitizer idea “while doing research for the original idea.

“I had no idea how powerful ozonated water was and how it could be used as a more powerful sanitizer than hydrogen peroxide or any of the over-the-counter bleaching and cleaning agents.”

So far, Hengsperger and Tersano, the company he established to market the sanitizer, has sold about 20,000 units through Canadian Tire in Canada, the Sharper Image in the U.S. and on the company’s website.

Diane Hengsperger, Steve’s wife, said she has been using a version of the product for the past four years and has virtually “eliminated the use of chemical cleaning products in our home. It took five years to come together from idea to product, but Steve’s patient and it’s paid off.”

According to the company’s website, ozone-activated water is widely accepted as a safe and effective way to decontaminate foods such as meats, poultry, seafood, fruits and vegetables.

Ottawa Citizen