Tag: hygiene

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Loogun uses high power water stream to replace nasty toilet brushes

Everyone hates toilet brushes. They’re universally gross but they’re a necessity for keeping the toilet clean.  Although some companies try to make single-use pads to cut down on the gross factor, they’re horrible for the environment and can cost over $100 a year buying refills.

But for $42, the Loogun is a sleek and elegant solution. It features a reservoir and a motor that creates a powerful stream of water that can handle the toughest bathroom messes.  The design is absolutely more attractive than a typical toilet brush, and because it never touches the toilet, it’s free of bacteria.

The creators of the Loogun are in the UK, and they’re hoping to ship worldwide by January 2016 if they meet their $62,850 goal by August 9, 2015. As far as toilet brushes go, the Loogun seems like a pretty and efficient alternative to the usual nasty bristles.

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Kids/Babies

WetHeads spew water to amuse kids into washing hands

It’s almost like a daily wrestling match: in one corner, there’s mom or dad and in the other is little Johnny or Suzy. The bell is the sound of mom or dad’s voice saying, “Go wash your hands.” And it’s all downhill from there. The one hope in all of this is that maybe a secret weapon such as WetHeads can help pin kids to the “mat” of the bathroom sink. Thankfully, this battle will not be complicated with any special tools for installation. WetHeads pretty much just screws onto the faucet, though it’s not clear whether or not it’s compatible with the majority of bathroom sinks out there. WetHeads also controls soap usage since there isn’t a dispenser to press down on, kids just rub the bubble mechanism instead.

The idea seems to have potential for persuading kids to wash their hands for maybe a few weeks or so, but kids tend to get bored with new things pretty quickly, so it may not be lasting.  This campaign is looking to raise $33,000 CAD (~$29,000 USD) by mid January 2015. For $20 CAD (~$18 USD), backers get WetHeads with an expected delivery of February 2015.

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Health and Wellness

Oraglide Tongue Cleaner aims to make your breath sweeter

As embarrassing as bad breath can be for an adult, it is at least twice as much so for the teen population whose age alone often means a significant lack of self-confidence. One amazing 13-year-old, Sheil Patel, is taking advantage of bad breath by creating his own business to help others overcome this problem. Oraglide gives those who suffer from bad breath a potential solution. Since the cause of bad breath is often tongue bacteria, this product cleans the tongue through its “u” shape and by removing the white film that is a culprit of bad breath.

There isn’t much of anything new about this tongue scraper as compared to others, but backers love kids with crowdfunding campaigns. Go, Sheil, go! Backers interested in oral care may also want to check out the Goodwell and CLEARsmile campaigns, and pet lovers whose furry best friend has this issue may be interested in the Zumby campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $65 by January 1, 2015. For $15, backers get one product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Health and Wellness

Goodwell toothbrush wants you to open wide for an open source mouth care kit

Like most products made by huge companies, toothbrushes aren’t designed with sustainability in mind. Usually made from non-biodegradable plastic and having to be replaced at least three to four times a year makes the item a prime polluter. On average, all this adds up to 12 pounds of waste per person or 80 billion pounds worldwide, annually. In an era of increased ecological awareness, this simply won’t do.

Goodwell is looking to do its part in reducing this unnecessary pollution by offering a sleek, modern toothbrush that functionally provides everything necessary to do so. The hybrid toothbrush, tongue scraper, and flosser is made from medical grade aluminum for strength, sport charcoal bristles and binchotan to more effectively fight plaque and clean teeth, and all of its attachments are made from bamboo composite which are fully compostable. Those attachments are open source as well: by releasing their CADs for their attachments, Goodwell is letting users create any kind of attachment they want, like chopsticks or forks and knives. There’s even a small compartment at the bottom of the brush to hold items like aspirin or spare bills.

The brush is a two-part proposition in that you can buy the kit itself with the option of subscribing to their delivery service. This entitles users to receive a new brush head every month along with a product from a collaborator like Maak soap or Marvin toothpaste for an additional $79 a year. Although it may seem like a hefty initial cost, new brush heads every month for that price comes out cheaper than buying a new toothbrush every month and the brush heads are at least biodegradable. If you want to spring for just the toothbrush, though, that will only run $69.  Goodwell is looking for an $12,500 infusion to begin manufacturing by the 26th.

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Health and Wellness

SaniTimer times your hand washing sessions to improve hygiene

Proper hand hygiene is an issue that seems small, but accounts for at least 20,000 cases of hospital acquired infections (HAI). This number is ridiculous compared to what little needs to be done in order to cut it down. The Center for Disease Control and other health agencies across the country mandate at least 20 seconds of vigorous hand washing in order to kill the bacteria and germs on your hands.

However, as is usually the case, people don’t do that. This led inventor Charles Phillip Abraham to create his Sanitimer, a timer that fits on the faucet of any sink and counts down from 30 seconds when water is opened. Since the mandate is 20 seconds, he made it so that users can have enough time to lather up and warm the water before getting down to actually washing their hands for the full 20 seconds, resetting so that the next user can have the time necessary. While 20 seconds is all well and good for the CDC’s standards, though, places like restaurants and hospitals have stricter requirements which the product can’t reflect since it isn’t programmable — a huge design flaw. Add to the the incredibly wasteful nature of having to keep the faucet running for the timer to run, and what began as a good idea suddenly doesn’t seem well thought out. One Sanitimer can be had for a $100 contribution with an expected delivery of November 2014. The campaign is aiming for an influx of $100,000.

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Health and Wellness

Earscanner checks where you hear for gunk

20140918073103-storyEars are a source of unparalleled mystery for those who refuse to regularly check up on them with a swab of a cotton bud every now and then. For those who don’t and for the rest who are just curious to see what’s going on in there, there’s the Earscanner. The product is created by combining two plastic molds and positioning a mirror inside, resulting in an angle that allows you to check the status of your ear with the aid of another mirror. Many of those who love using cotton swabs have been warned by their doctors to take it easy on the Q-Tips. Earscanner is a great option for those who have been invading their ear canals too much. Never again fear the dark recesses of your auditory canal for just $29, with delivery slated for late 2014.

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Health and Wellness

Plastic Tidy Potty covers sanitizes your stay, flushes away

TidyPottyAs the weather warms, it’s great to be able to get out and enjoy different events. However, when you break away from the fun to make use of the restroom, some of them can be a bit on the scary side where cleanliness is concerned. Tidy Potty aims to provide cover when you feel the need to have a seat at public gatherings (as opposed to in the wild). The makers of the plastic cover boast that it is more effective than typical paper covers where protection and sanitation are concerned. Tidy Potty also comes with wipes. Of course, you could always just dig your own. Just $2 lands a pack of covers that are due in June 2014.