Several area businesses recognized by Idaho's Best

Jun. 27—Erb's Ace Hardware, the Locker Room and IMUA Hawaiian Style Restaurant are among the north central Idaho businesses that won the Panhandle region in a contest that identifies some of the finest ventures in the state.

Idaho's Best honors are based on votes, Google reviews and Better Business Bureau grades, according to Idaho's Best website.

The results appear in Idaho's Best Magazine, an annual publication distributed in businesses and affluent neighborhoods in the state, according to Idaho's Best website.

Businesses in Lewiston and Moscow compete in a region that includes Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint and Post Falls.

Erb's Hardware in Lewiston was named in the hardware store category, while the Locker Room in Lewiston, Moscow, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls was recognized in the barber shop category. IMUA was recognized in the Hawaiian restaurant category.

Others area winners include the following:

Art Uncorked Downtown in Lewiston, arts and crafts.

Splash Car Wash & Detailing in Lewiston, car detailer.

Steiner's Audio Visual in Lewiston, car stereo.

North 40 Outfitters in Lewiston, Coeur d'Alene and Ponderay, feed store.

— Palmer's Window Washing in Lewiston, home service.

— Palouse Juice in Moscow, juice bar.

— Lindsay Creek Vineyards in Lewiston, music venue.

— Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow, performing arts theater.

— Pointe Pest Control in Lewiston, Moscow, Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Priest River and Sandpoint, pest control.

— Mike's Mechanical Services in Lewiston, plumbing.

— Allegra in Moscow, promotional products.

Lewiston mother fills a need

Shower steamers that help clear sinuses frequently sell out at G & E Spa Essentials, a business founded by a former Lewiston math teacher in her basement.

The steamers sell for $5 in a two-pack. They dissolve in the flow of water on a shower floor, releasing the aroma of eucalyptus, peppermint and menthol that clear breathing passages, said Jessi McLean, who owns the business with her husband, Jeremy McLean, a special education teacher in the Lewiston School District.

Since it opened two years ago, G & E Spa Essentials has been so successful that Jessi McLean left her job at Lewiston's Jenifer Middle School to work full time at the venture.

G & E Spa Essentials has more than 50 items, including lines for men, housekeeping and pets. It sells online at gandespaessentials.com and in a store at 2920 Nez Perce Drive adjacent to the lobby of Village Centre Cinemas in Lewiston.

The hours are 3-6 p.m. Thursday, 3-7 p.m. Friday, 1-7 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Its manufacturing space is at the Port of Lewiston in the same building as the community's ice skating rink.

The business was born out of a family crisis. The McLeans' youngest daughter, Eliana, was diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension, as well as three congenital heart defects when she was 5 weeks old and underwent open-heart surgery when she was 8 months old.

Before the surgery, Eliana had doctors' appointments every day. That left the McLeans with little time to spend with their older daughter, Gracelyn, who was barely 2 years old when her younger sister was born.

They began treating Gracelyn to bath bombs, but found they irritated her sensitive skin. In the many sleepless nights navigating Eliana's health issues, Jessi went to work, seeking options that would nourish, not harm, her daughter's skin.

"I started researching," she said. "I figured out what ingredients do what."

The resulting bath bombs ($4 to $8) remain one of the business's staples. Bath bombs available as of late last week included ones shaped like bowls of Fruit Loops cereal, strawberry lemon cake and orange slices.

Scents and shapes shift seasonally, with her family serving as inspiration for new products and the business name. She developed creams to help heal Eliana's scars from open-heart surgery.

Her husband has a beard, so she introduced beard wash, balm and oil for G & E Spa Essentials. The "G" is for Gracelyn and the "E" is for Eliana.

The process of inventing new goods continues to get easier, Jessi said, partly because she maintains a stock of building blocks for her products such as baking soda, clay and cocoa butter.

One customer recently mentioned she was looking for an alternative to baby powder to prevent the chafing she experiences bicycling.

Jessi had her version ready in less than 24 hours, which, as a bonus, can be used as a natural deodorant.

It may or may not become part of the regular lineup depending on how it's received by customers in a trial run.

Regardless of how much the business grows, Jessi said, she is committed to sticking with its founding principle.

"We only use ingredients we feel confident enough to use on our own children," she said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.