Double Sided Paper Towel

It would be nice to see a paper towel that was better at scrubbing.

I imagine a towel with two layers. One would be the traditional absorbent material paper towels are usually made with, the other would be a rough material much like that used in the scrubbing side of some sponges. To manufacture them one could even try making rolls of 'ultra-thin' sponge with a rough scrubbing backing.

Each sheet would be thicker so you would get less on a roll. However, it would serve almost as a one time use roll of sponges.

The use application I envision is when some nasty gunk needs to be scrubbed up. The double sided paper towel could be used to scrub it off and then soak up the water. When done a person would just throw the sheet away.

If one were to use a sponge, in many situations they would want to throw it away immediately afterwards even if the sponge is new.

You would not want to use such a product to dry your hands. However, it seems like it could fill a valuable roll amongst cleaning supplies right along side other products such as Clorox wipes and sponges.

Detergent Dispensing Washer

Today's idea is not groundbreaking, but it is still something I would like to see.
It would be mildly convenient if washing machines had a detergent 'tank.' The tank could be filled when empty, and the washer would automatically add the detergent to the wash. Basically it would remove a step from the process of doing the wash. This makes doing the laundry faster (for the person) and easier.

It also means that a container of detergent does not need to be stored somewhere.

The system would need to be designed such that water could run across the tank's surface to prevent the build up of detergent scum. It would also require a method to let an operator know when the detergent was low. A low tech solution to this second requirement is a prominent transparent side to the tank such that the operator could visually see how much detergent was left. There could also conceivably be a more high tech system to actually alert and warn an operator when detergent was low.

As I said above, this would not be groundbreaking. But it would shave some work off of a frequent chore.

Static Dust Pan

I do not mind sweeping the floor. But my least favorite part of the whole task is getting the dirt into the dustpan.

Ultimately it's just rather difficult to get the dust to reliably go into the pan.

Looking at the dust pan it is something that has not really changed much in the time since I have been born. There has to be room for improvement. Below is my take on a possible way to improve this old tool.

Dirt and things like pet hair tends to be attracted to things that are statically charged. It would be possible to create a metal dustpan that could be charged by a device in the handle. The device would be battery powered and would statically charge the metal of the pan (there are a number of ways to create a device), but I will not go into technical details. Hair and dust being pushed into the pan would naturally want to stick in it.

When dumping dirt into the garbage the device could then discharge the pan allowing the refuse to fall into the garbage.

Ultimately there is not much to this idea. Its simply a straight forward take on possibly reforming and improving an old standard of cleaning.

Removable Microwave Panels

Microwaves are great. But inevitably they will get dirty. Over time food will splatter over the interior and eventually coat it in unappetizing crud.

There are covers that one can use for their food to prevent the splatter. These are not necessarily 100% and also require you to actually use the cover. Of course even if you are fastidious in their use, you also need to convince anyone else that uses the microwave that they are a good idea.

Cleaning a microwave is a unpleasant task. Ignoring, for the moment, the unpleasantness of the crud it is difficult. It requires scrubbing surfaces at uncomfortable angles. It can be really quite tiring in fact.

However, it would not be difficult at all to make it such that the interior plastic walls of the microwave were removable. It would be a simple task to design them such that they just snapped into place and came out just as easily.

When they were dirty an owner could remove them and just stick them into their dishwasher. They would want to avoid microwaving until they put the panels back (to avoid dirtying the interior surfaces. But that is a small price to pay to avoid having to clean it by hand.

This would not require people to change their habits (as a cover does), but yet it allows for the microwave to be kept clean. I can think of virtually no drawbacks other than a slight increase in microwave cost. It wouldn't be foolproof of course. If you spilled something in the microwave, it could get between the panels and coat the interior surface (requiring you to clean the thing by hand). But it would keep splatter at bay.

Now many people may not care about the cleanliness of their microwave. However, I suspect those people are not looking too closely when their microwave is dirty.