If the last thing you want to do is clean up after you’ve polished the porcelain, read on.
Scientists from Penn State University have developed a super-slippery coating that can stop poo from sticking on the toilet, even after you’ve flushed. The spray-on substance can reduce adhesion of even the toughest logs by up to 90 per cent. Researchers suggest that this could not only cut down on cleaning time, but also reduce household water consumption. They also add that the coating could last for 500 flushes before being reapplied.
“Our team has developed a robust bio-inspired, liquid, sludge- and bacteria-repellent coating that can essentially make a toilet self-cleaning,” said associate Professor of mechanical engineering Tak-Sing Wong, speaking to Penn State News.
“Poop sticking to the toilet is not only unpleasant to users, but it also presents serious health concerns. Our goal is to bring impactful technology to the market so everyone can benefit.”
Co-developer Jing Wang says the science is simple. “When it dries, the first spray grows molecules that look like little hairs, with a diameter of about 1,000,000 times thinner than a human’s,” Wang explains.
“When we put that coating on a toilet in the lab and dump synthetic feacal matter on it, it just completely slides down and nothing sticks to it.”
