The main tank, brimful with ideas. Enjoy them, discuss them, take them. - Of course, this is also the #1 place for new submissions!
By Bubbles McGee
#54
I have noticed that there are the *new* tablets for the dishwasher or the washer (clothes). They are great, I use them. But what I don't like is that you have to unwrap the plastic that the tablets are in. It would be great to have the wrap be water soluble (i.e. melt or dissolve) so that there wouldn't be any waste.

Reward: Neverending supply of the dish/clothes tablets, or the Red Sox winning the World Series, whatever comes first! ;)
By Dan Anderson
#255
Um...What would the point of the wrapper be then?
By Bubbles
#256
Manufacturers like Tide and Palmolive have these tablets initially wrapped (I think) so they will not crumble apart and/or settle. Anyone else have any ideas why they are wrapped in the first place?
By Kesmur
#257
Bubbles has a great idea - and Anderson has a point. But why wrap them at all? I bet that wrapping each one costs a fair bit of money. Also, less packaging is better for the environment. If they hey could be sold for far less I would think that you might be willing to live with some chips on each tablet. Besides, if they fell apart that easily, I doubt the wrapping would do much good.
By Takoma Park
#258
While it's true that there's far too much packaging on just about everything, in this case it may even serve a purpose, namely keeping the tablets away from water vapor.

But what do I know; maybe it's just to keep your kid from chewing them.

Maybe the solution would be a pez-like dispenser: less packaging, plus the bonus of getting to play with Daffy Duck every time you do the dishes.

Actually, that's an idea that could fly for all sorts of things... my lens-cleaning tablet please, Lord Vader.
By will
#259
hahahahaha, good one. get me one too. but what if the soluable wrapper gets lets say cola spilled on it. that would suck.
By ReligionY
#1883
Anything put in an individually wrapped container is for people too weak to pour from the large container, or for preservation.

They have already developed edible wrappings for candies and other accessories. The technology is there, but I believe that the sugars that go into the soluable material would cause more problems--as takoma park said, children eating the product--than it is worth.

Wrappers also come in handy when you forget what it is that you are holding while daydreaming about some new innovation.
User avatar
By Lukasz
#1893
Why wrapping those tablets:
- so that no one would get dirty,
- whan tablets brake they will not spread all over the place
- to make sure that no matter how much tablet will brake off, you will still use the same amount of soap.
- everything else mentioned before on this forum.

"There is no spoon"
User avatar
By Steve
#3225
Believe it or not (you probably believe it ;-) ) - I've seen these tablets in a TV ad today. Proves that it not only can/could be done but also that it seems to solve a problem that exists/existed for many people.

Wow, I would have gone with those who believed that a dissolvable wrapper defeats the purpose. Proves once more that almost anything is possible. ;-D
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#3268
I wonder what happened to the ultrasonic dishwasher and washing machine that didn't need any detergent/soap to clean. If nobody knows then I'll research it and update my post here.
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#3324
I found this in a Google search:

Ultrasonic cleaning is widely applied in industry, yet it's still waiting for development in the field of washing machine(family type). The traditional electrostrictive transducer can't satisfy the washing requirements because of its limited strain, low density, single output frequency, and weak penetration. For a long time people have been dreaming about the ultrasonic washing machine turning into reality. And if it did come into true, the environment will be protected for the amount of cleaning agent or laundry powder will be noticeably reduced.

    The giant magnetostrictive transducer has the strain that is much higher than that of the electrostrictive or the traditional magnetostrictive transducer; it possesses qualities like high energy density, adjustable waveband and frequency, strong penetration, and significant washing effects. The high-powered, small-sized ultrasonic transducer makes the design more reasonable, and because of it's small size and light weight, it's very suitable for family use. At present, ultrasonic washing machine has alreaby appeared in the Japanese market. Evidently, it's becoming urgent for us to develop our own ultrasonic washing machine.

...and this:

The decades-old symbiotic ties between washing machine makers and the soap sellers are being severely tested by Sanyo's claim to have invented "the world's first zero-detergent washing machine," which relies on ultrasonic waves to loosen dirt and on electrolysis to clean the water.

The machine, selling for about US$1,000, uses ultrasonics to produce tiny water bubbles that remove organic stains. This is not Sanyo's first ultrasonic washer, but it is the first to use electrolysis to make it a detergent-free system. Electrolysis generates oxygen from the water. This breaks down stains and prevents dirt finding its way back to the clothes from the wash water.
OFFSHORE
Finger Wheel Fidget Toy

A three inch wheel with rubber grip on the outside[…]

Makeover of backyard

Nothing to share but I definitely want to see the […]

Sticking Games

No fantasy but real sports. Professional level foo[…]

This must be very useful information. Thank you ve[…]