This Toilet Lube Stops Your Poo Sticking to the Bowl

Gentlemen, the future of faeces disposal has arrived. Say hello to a streak-free life with science’s newest invention: spray-on toilet lube.

Called ‘liquid entrenched smooth surface’ (or ‘Less’), the khazi coating is the brainchild of Penn State University researchers, who set out to conserve the planet’s water, one flush at a time.

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A single coating of Less can reduce water consumption by 90 per cent, tests published in the journal Nature Sustainability revealed, as well as ward off unpleasant odours and prevent the build up of disease-causing germs.

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Lead researcher Tak-Sing Wong started working on the toilet lube four years ago, after researchers at Cranfield University contacted him for help. “My research group was known for developing highly slippery coatings to repel sticky substances,” Wong told The Guardian.

Together, they formulated Less. The application process starts with a base layer containing ‘nanohairs’ – each one a billion times thinner than a human hair – which is covered with a fine coating of silicone oil. Within five minutes, your lav is pretty much poo-proof.

The researchers tested the coating with batches of fake poo that varied in consistency, dropping it from a realistic height and angle to accurately simulate the real thing. Using coloured dye, they figured out how much water it took to wash the bowl clean. The Less-coated surface took 90 per cent less water to clean, the scientists found.

Just to make sure, they pitted the coating against real poo, which had been sourced from three anonymous donors. “I was very happy to see how easily the faecal matter slid off our coated surface,” Wong told The Guardian.

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Tests suggest the coating can withstand up to 500 flushes; however, it needs to be replaced after 50 urinations. So maybe not ideal for the office toilet.

Still, more than 141 billions litres of fresh water are used to flush toilets each day – nearly six times the daily water consumption of Africa, Wong says – so hopefully the loo lube will go some way towards combating water waste.

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