A self cleaning cloth will be able to destroy bacteria and toxins when exposed to light, which could be used to make safer clothing for farmers and medical workers. The cloth could be developed by incorporating the unusual compound 2-anthraquinone carboxylic acid (2-AQC) into the fabric. The compound will bond to the cotton without changing its properties, and produce hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide when exposed to light, which instantly will kill bacteria and break down...

1. The most important step in getting rid of cat hair in your home is to keep it from getting loose there in the first place. If you brush your cat on a regular basis--anywhere from daily to once every two weeks, depending on how much your cat sheds - the cat will have less hair to shed on its own. In fact, most cats enjoy being brushed as long as you use gentle pressure with a brush that isn't scratchy. 2. A cat's skin and coat are easily affected by the animal's diet, so...

The idea is to develop a device able to detect the exact location of bedbugs in just 15 minutes. Bedbugs are extremely hard to find- they are incredibly tiny, and they are immune to most poison bait or bombs. Exterminators have been using dogs to sniff out pests, and the device will able to sniff out bed bugs in much the same way as the dogs. The "electronic nose" will consist of CO2 and methane sensors along with a pheromone detector to determine a bedbug's location within one...

The idea is to create a spray-on antibacterial coating which will work even after several washings and will be applied to a variety of textiles as well as other materials. The polymer coating is supposed to be simple, inexpensive, and scalable. Able to kill a wide spectrum of bacteria, yeasts, and molds, it will be applied to both natural and synthetic materials, either during manufacturing or at home by the owner. The coating will be able to survive several hot water washings, and...

* How to remove wax from solid surfaces. If the wax is allowed to cool completely, and if the surface isn't too porous, it will separate easily from a solid surface. Use a flat, prying device to work your way under the wax. Be careful so as not to damage the surface you are trying to clean. Some candle waxes contain oils and pigments that might leave a stain on a surface like wood. In those cases, place a folded paper towel over the stain and apply a steady heat, like that...

My great problem is that I'm constantly "feeding" washing machines with my cell phones, watches, keys, etc. My idea is to provide laundry rooms or washing machines themselves with X-ray or some other method to detect electronic devices before they start running.

I spent much time making my cat stop peeing all around my house. Below are a couple of tips that helped me (hope they could help somebody else). * Keep the litter box clean! Cats can be picky creatures. If their regular watering hole isn't as sparkling as they would like it to be, they will find somewhere else to go. * Clean old messes thoroughly. Cats are creatures of habit. They will continue to pee on your carpet until they can smell their own vile urine there. *...

1. Removing rust stains from clothing and fabric. You can choose any way below to remove rust stains from clothing or other fabrics: * Combination of lemon juice and salt. Pile salt over the stain, and then pour some lemon juice onto the salt until it's saturated. Let that sit for 30 minutes before you rinse it. * White vinegar. Soak the stain in vinegar for a few minutes, and then rinse it with water. * Hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. Make a...

Even a small ink stain on a white shirt can be a great trouble. Of course, it is better to use the ink carefully but since the stain appeared just keep in mind that fresh ink stains on clothes are well washed in warm milk or thick sour milk. If the ink stain is on wool trousers, then try a ten percent solution of citric acid. Simple household chemicals will help you to save clothes from stains.

A hand disinfecting concept can go beyond sanitizing liquids alone by allowing users to check whether they've missed a spot where bacteria may still exists. The device will be developed for use in hospitals. To use, hospital staff and visitors will place their hands over the device, where a hydro-alcoholic solution and plastic micro-ball solution will be automatically dispensed as a mist onto the hands. After scrubbing with the solution, users can then place their hands beneath the...