No More Toilet Mess !

Mods : Feel free to move this one to the Science and Tech. Forum if need. Because it's a new technology.

What an smart idea, I wanna clog my toilet and try it for fun. Hope Home Depot has it.

In our "Weekly Innovation" blog series, we explore an interesting idea, design or product that you may not have heard of yet. Do you have an innovation to share? Use this quick form.

A South Korean toilet unclogger is definitely not your dad's rubber plunger on a stick. It's a single-use plastic film called Pongtu that stretches across the toilet bowl and sticks to clean, dry edges.

An airtight seal and a toilet flush, the plastic film bulges and voila! Clog-clearing positive pressure! As you can see in the demo video, the clog is free in three pushes down on the bulged film. (I did hold my breath, though, as it seems highly dangerous to tempt fate on an already-full toilet with another bowl-filling flush.)

The appeal here is that it can be hard work to build up enough pressure using a regular plunger without kicking up toilet muck, and Pongtu seems easy (and splash-free) enough — when the seal is airtight. It also boasts that it is "foldable and portable" — ideal for the chronic on-the-go john stopper.

A few months ago, a video blog about living in South Korea called Eat Your Kimchi — run by a Canadian couple, Simon and Martina Stawski, who work in Seoul — tested Pongtu but were stymied by a bum seal.

"It worked when we did a test run on it, but on video we messed up," Simon wrote in an email to NPR.
As we do with our weekly innovations, we reached out to folks associated with this product in the hopes of interviewing the inventor. We have not yet heard back. If more toilet innovations are what you're craving, look no further than our previous coverage: a hackable toilet; a toilet-sink combo; and a sink-urinal combo.

www.npr.org...

When he pushed down on it he forced the dirty water up into the cistern! In most country that would make it illegal as it can reach the fresh water supply! Yuck!

You can achieve better results with a large plastic bottle. Cut the bottom off the bottle, force it down into the pan, then give the bottle a squeeze, job done.

Oh, man. Product failure (the film breaks) or user error during installation could really be catastrophic! Cool idea, but I'm not sure I'd try it.

And if the clog fails to clear?

Pressure builds...

The problem is now no longer just localized inside the toilet.

Also... Touching the rim? Ewww. Call me old school, but a plunger puts a long stick between the business end and my hand.

originally posted by: FatherStacks
Oh, man. Product failure (the film breaks) or user error during installation could really be catastrophic!

Cool idea, but I'm not sure I'd try it.

No joke! ... I saw this a few weeks ago and my first thought was if that seal breaks or something that is a real mess..

Interesting but no thanks.. .

I am not sure do i feel ok now.. it was gross.
There must be some kind of conspiracy why they make seats with such a small hole so it gets stuck.. big boys make big...
If film breaks then you are in it all the way armpits.. nice lol

a reply to: Trueman

That is so gross.

What's wrong with a plunger for goodness sake?

At last with plungers you don't have to feel/press on anything.

What's wrong with a bucket of hot water?

I'm told that works.

Ahem.

a reply to: CJCrawley

It doesn't have to be hot.

Yes that works too.

You are simply "pushing" water into the hole which forces pressure.

a reply to: OrphanApology

Depends how badly clogged up it is.

Hot works better than cold.

Voice of experience.

Thanks for all replies. The intention of this thread was to remind you to eat a lot of fiber.