However, those of us who have ever put together a piece of IKEA furniture know that it can sometimes be frustrating and even downright annoying to not only decipher the instructions, but actually get the disassembled pieces to resemble the finished product.

Imagine an interactive tool that took a bit of the stress out of IKEA assemblage — a guide that offered much-needed information about pieces that were notoriously tough to put together. Sounds like a dream come true for IKEA stans everywhere, right?

While IKEA itself has a customer rating system that provides info on “Ease of Assembly,” it’s still a huge amount of data to sift through. Our friends at HouseholdQuotes.uk recently did the hard work for us and developed the definitive tool for ascertaining what pieces are the simplest and most difficult to assemble, in addition to the simplest alternatives and substitutes available. The Holy Grail of IKEA info, this handy guide is perfect for potential buyers looking to save themselves the agony that often accompanies the IKEA furniture assembly process — and the good news is, you don’t even need an Allen wrench to figure it out!

Some of the tool’s handiest features are lists of the top pieces that are both easy and difficult to assemble, all ranked on a scale where five is the top mark (i.e. the easiest pieces are given the five-star treatment). And believe it or not, there are plenty of pieces that rank up there. The lists are also sub-divided by category, saving you the trouble of finding your dream bed in a never-ending forest of unpronounceable Swedish words. You can also search or browse, which speeds up the process a bit if you’re in the heat of the shopping moment and need an answer fast. No more Hamlet-level angst deciding between sofas or deliberating over dining tables.

Is this tool the end-all solution for solving every IKEA headache? Of course not. Customer reviews tend to be subjective, and what person A finds impossible, person B thinks is a snap. It does, however, provide a helpful matrix that takes into account a wide range of reviews. The category breakdown is extremely helpful, and the ability to search by product takes a lot of the guesswork out of the whole process.

We’ve all been there: going from the smug sense of satisfaction inherent in almost every IKEA purchase to the absolute horror of seeing all of the pieces laid out on the living room floor. But thanks to this handy tool from HouseholdQuotes, you can finally skip past those furniture foibles and get to enjoying your new furniture.

The post HouseholdQuotes.uk Assembles the Holy Grail of IKEA Furniture Manuals first appeared on Dornob.

Both items debuted on April 1st, prompting many to wonder whether they were actually real or just an April Fool’s Day joke. But despite their tongue-in-cheek nature, these things are fully functional. Designed by Japanese firm Gelchop for IKEA’s Art Event 2021, the LED table lamp (€39/$46 USD) aims to encourage viewers to question “an object’s ‘true’ purpose in the world,” according to a press release. It’s designed to lay flat on a surface, charges via USB, and consists of aluminum and plastic. The accompanying LED torch (€25/$30 USD) comes in blue or silver and is hilariously oversized.

“The inspiration for our ideas comes from everyday experiences and objects that, with a different approach, we transform into new, fun, and playful works of art and everyday gadgets,” says Gelchop. “IKEA ART EVENT 2021 table lamp and torches are a great example of how we work. So many people associate the Allen key with IKEA, yet it has a completely different function here with our interpretation. It’s something that we hope will even be appreciated by those who are not fans of assembling furniture.”

IKEA’s sixth annual Art Event is a limited collection blurring the line between art and functional design. The brand selected five artists and designers to create pieces that capture the imagination while doubling as useful household items. The other items in the 2021 range include a dramatic black and white tabletop clock by Daniel Arsham, a slitted round wall light by Sabine Marcelis, a framed drone collection by the firm Humans since 1982, and a glass vase and blanket printed with graphic lettering by Stefan Marx.

Many people see art as something to gaze at from a respectful distance in a museum or gallery, but IKEA hopes the event will help democratize art by removing some of those boundaries and encouraging physical interaction. Truly, each one of these pieces has its own story to tell.

An official company statement on the collection reads: “Driven by curiosity, these visionaries take recognizable objects and add their unique artistic spin, shifting our view of what a simple clock or lamp, flashlight or throw, vase or picture is. Each of these pieces has a vision of its own, elevating the ordinary into the extraordinary. IKEA ART EVENT 2021 showcases the future of living with art — where it can be picked up and used as well as thoughtfully reflected upon. There are no boundaries in IKEA’s new vision; art every day for everyone.”

If you like these quirky items, you should snap them up right away, because they’ll only be available for purchase in select stores or for delivery via IKEA-USA.com through May 2021.

The post IKEA Pays Homage to Its Most Iconic Tool with a Fun Allen Key Lamp first appeared on Dornob.

Depending on what the bolt is holding together, these mistakes could result in a chair leg that’s constantly wobbly, a shelf that collapses under the weight of its contents, or the kind of equipment failure that leads to catastrophic accidents.

Lucky for us all, a company called Stress Indicators Inc. is now offering one of those “why didn’t this already exist” products in the form of SmartBolts, completely eliminating the need for a torque wrench to ensure that bolts are properly fastened. Each one of these bolts boasts a red dot in the center of its head that disappears when you’ve tightened it just right, which means you’ll always know when you’ve hit the sweet spot. You’ll also get visual cues when you need to re-tighten bolts that have loosened over time.

Fasteners work like springs, the company explains. Every time you stretch a spring, it pulls back. That stretching force is known as tension, while the force that attempts to return the spring to its original size is called compression. And since tension creates a kind of clamp force, it’s perfect for holding objects together.

The SmartBolt’s built-in visual tension indicator shows you exactly how much tension is being applied to the screw, appearing bright red when it’s at its loosest and darkening several shades until it reaches the black color that indicates it’s properly tightened.

“Even though bolts may seem perfectly rigid, steel is an elastic material. This means that when they are tightened in a bolted joint, they actually stretch a tiny amount. Think of the bolt in a bolted joint as a stiff, metal spring. By tightening the nut, you are creating tension, a load or force that pulls on both ends of the bolt. As you increase the tension, the bolt stretches the way a spring would stretch when you pull against both ends.”

“From loose to tight and back again, the system is reliable and repeatable through countless cycles of operation. It is compatible with a wide range of fastener types, and we can adapt it to fasteners of nearly every available grade, finish, and coating.”

SmartBolts are available in a range of sizes, going all the way up to 2.2 inches in diameter for industrial usage in fields like mining. In fact, the largest ones weigh a whopping 25 pounds each. While they might be overkill for some applications, it’s clear that bolts with built-in visual indicators could offer a major safety boost for things like infrastructure and, say, roller coasters.

Perhaps in the latter case, if products like SmartBolts became the norm, people with anxieties about equipment failure could reassure themselves that they’d be fine to go on certain rides with just a quick visual assessment.

Where else do you imagine bolts like these coming in handy?

The post These Smart Bolts Change Color When You Tighten Them Properly first appeared on Dornob.

One workaround is to carry an antimicrobial tool for opening doors and pushing buttons. But as we all grow more aware of potential public health concerns, designers are coming up with some clever built-in solutions, too.

“Dropkick” addresses one high-touch urban surface: pedestrian buttons at crosswalks. Noticing people contorting their bodies in order to push the waist-height buttons with their feet, the folks at One Design Office realized there’s a really obvious way to solve the problem.

They explain: “diving deeper into this, there was a general consensus that these buttons were not hygienic. The negative connotation is further amplified with the rampant rise of COVID-19 and the growing obsession with public hygiene. As reported in the Journal, studies show that the surfaces of these buttons have been breeding grounds for bacteria, with swabs showing significant colonies of bacteria dwelling on them. Even active wiping down of these buttons may prove to be futile with the bacteria becoming more dominant if they survive. Re-appropriating this to the context of COVID-19, traces of the COVID virus were found on stainless steel surfaces as long as 72 hours after initial contact.”

“You’d imagine that in the 21st century that technology would advance beyond needing to operate buttons. In fact, some cities are already putting in place sensor-activated pedestrian crossing buttons. It was also discovered that many of these buttons don’t actually contribute to the timing or speed of activating a crossing, as most of them work to a pre-determined schedule during peak hours, making them “placebo buttons,” as quoted in the Guardian article. Could it be that these buttons exist for the sole purpose of satisfying the human need of feeling as though they have actively done something to reduce waiting times, much like the ‘close’ button in elevators? We suspect that there could not be a replacement for the tactility of a physical button.”

Their solution, developed in collaboration with Greenpoint Media, is a kickable, hands-free pedestrian button set at ground level. They hope Dropkick can help reduce the transmission of germs while allowing the buttons to continue what is essentially a placebo function. The pill-like shape of the button allows it to be pressed from multiple directions, and it’s backlit for visibility, especially as pedestrians get used to looking further down the light pole than usual. But as the designers point out, having the button on the ground comes with an additional benefit: most people standing at crosswalks are already looking down at their smartphones, anyway.

The button features a hard one-piece aluminum shell for strength and durability, with holes drilled to let the green or red arrow lights pass through. The buttons also contain speakers that can alert pedestrians when it’s time to cross the road, or introduce “biophilic sounds” to the urban environment, like those of singing birds.

This hands-free approach is just one example of how urban design and even home interior design might change as a result of COVID-19. Check out some essential interior design takeaways from the coronavirus crisis, and what we might be able to expect from major cities in the years to come.

The post Dropkick: A Hands-Free Pedestrian Crossing Solution first appeared on Dornob.

While people have been aware of the dirty doorknob dilemma for decades now, the pandemic has motivated professionals from all kinds of fields to develop creative solutions that could revolutionize the ways we enter and exit rooms and buildings.

The CleanKey

Ziad Salah from Edmonton, Alberta was motivated by his personal situation. His wife is pregnant with their first child, and their older parents are at high risk for contracting the virus. He was following all the protective protocols, of course, but he still felt it wasn’t enough. He says that “it’s not enough to socially distance from being around people. You have to socially distance from things that are publicly shared, too.”

Working with his friends Abed and Ammar Shawar, Salah brainstormed possible solutions. They ultimately came up with a small key-shaped tool with a hook on the end that fits into any pocket and opens doors weighing up to 70 pounds without the hands ever making contact with a knob or handle. The CleanKey can also help you avoid hand contact with keypads and touch screens.

Although CleanKey is among an assortment of portable door-openers currently on the market, Salah and the Shawar brothers believe their curved hood design is more stable than those of their competitors — not to mention more competitively priced at $7. Salah explains that “we’re getting orders for five to six of them at a time, one for every member of a family, so we don’t want the total cost running to $100.”

Free for All

Instead of carrying a tool to open doors, engineers at Materialise (one of Europe’s largest 3D-printing operations) came up with a device that can be easily installed on existing door handles. Perhaps most impressively, it took them only three days to devise, produce, improve, and make public online printing blueprints for it.

Just to clarify, Materialise’s primary focus is the design and 3D-printing of medical equipment, so their aim was never to mass-produce the handles. Instead, they made the blueprints available free online so any individual or company with a 3D printer could use them to create their own. To date, over 100,000 blueprints have been downloaded, equal to around one-tenth of all 3D-printer owners in the world.

The “Less is More” Solution

Arjun Kaicker, head of workplace analytics and insights at London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, thinks voice-activated doors will someday be common. Until then, he suggests a much simpler answer to avoiding germy doorknobs.

“Meeting room doors are going to be propped open, and only if you have a meeting requiring absolute privacy will a person close that door with a handkerchief. And when people move into the offices straightaway, they might just take doors off meetings rooms and offices and put them into storage until things change.”

The post COVID-19 Sparks New Innovations in Door Design first appeared on Dornob.

But as germaphobes are well aware, plenty of low-tech tools to help you avoid touching potentially infectious public surfaces already exist. They’re almost always made of copper or one of its alloys, like brass or bronze, which possess antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. When microbes land on a copper surface, the metal’s ions prevent cell respiration, punching holes in the cell membrane or disrupting the viral coat to destroy the DNA and RNA inside.

It would be cool to see more copper doorknobs, countertops, and seating in hospitals, airports, train stations, gyms, and other places known for harboring microbes, but in the meantime, you can pick up a small, affordable keychain tool that will let you open door handles, punch keypads, sign checkout screens, and press elevator buttons without directly using your hands.

One thing to note: there are many, many products like these available on Amazon, Wish, Alibaba, and other websites, but you should always make sure you’re getting the real (copper alloy) deal, and not a spray-painted imitation.

CleanKey

The ergonomic design of the CleanKey makes it easy to press buttons, pull levers, and open many public doors (at least, those with handles rather than knobs) without actually touching potentially contaminated surfaces yourself. It hooks onto your keys, and you can get it with a retractible carabiner to ensure you’ll never lose it.

Hygiene Hand

Designed by a New York City paramedic, the Hygiene Hand is almost identical to the CleanKey, but it’s always nice to have options. Recently launched on Kickstarter, this antimicrobial door opener will definitely help reduce the amount of hand washing and disinfecting you have to do while you’re out running errands or performing other essential jobs. As its makers point out, coronavirus can only survive on copper and brass for a couple hours, compared to several days on plastic or stainless steel.

Dino-Phobe

If you prefer something that looks more like an ornamental keychain, the Dino-Phobe pocket tool is a fun option. Made in the USA, it’s brass and significantly larger and thicker than other tools, and it performs all of the same functions. Best of all, you can also use it as a bottle opener.

Pull Pro

Want a full range of designs to choose from? The PullPro and PushPro come in dozens of shapes, though some appear to be more functional than others. They’re made of solid copper, manufactured in Scottsdale, Arizona, and have the lowest cost of the bunch at just $14.99.

Heart-Shaped Door Opener Keychain

Individual crafters and small businesses are selling their own versions of the tool on Etsy, too. This 100-percent copper heart-shaped door opener keychain is handcrafted and comes on a silver split ring. The creator doesn’t specify whether it would work on touch screens, but it can be used to open doors, carry bags, and press keypad buttons.

Antimicrobial Antique-Style Skeleton Key

Offered by a New York-based company that usually makes custom laser-cut architectural signage, this solid quarter-inch brass skeleton key has a fun antique style that’ll look great dangling from your key ring.

The post 6 Antimicrobial Tools for Hands-Free Door Opening and Button Pushing first appeared on Dornob.

Technological advancements mean there is no longer a direct correlation between the size of an object and the function it can provide. The HUNT23 is out to prove precisely that with what could be defined as the world’s tiniest, coolest multipurpose flashlight.

The HUNT23 gives you the power to see your way through the dark, make basic repairs, and open cans and bottles wherever you might find yourself. The goal was to convert what could have been just another micro flashlight into something more valuable, which for the creators meant packing as much function into the tiny unit as possible. That makes it perfect for a coin purse on date night, or even your pocket on a backpacking trip. The built-in pry bar works as a screwdriver, box knife, can tab puller, bottle opener, and tool for scratching off that winning lottery ticket. And those are just a few of the HUNT23’s 14 total functions.

Of course, there are myriad multipurpose tools on the market, so you might be wondering what it is that makes this one so special. The answer is size. The HUNT23 is very small (tiny actually) and lightweight, making it easier to carry than most other multi-tools. With EDC (everyday carry) in mind, the team wanted to make sure the flashlight could be with you whenever you needed it. The design even eliminates the fear of losing your little companion with a nifty keychain clip for easy transport and retrieval. Alternatively, you can hook it on your sweatshirt or jacket zipper during your early morning run, or wear it as a necklace on a chain.

What exactly do we mean by tiny? The body is a mere 12.5 millimeters long, while the width is 11.5 millimeters. For a visual measurement, that’s about half the length of a regular house key. The multipurpose pry bar tip is just three millimeters wide — perfect when you need to remove the lid from a paint or hot cocoa can. Better yet, the HUNT23 is one multi-use tool that won’t get confiscated at the airport.

The flashlight is touted as one of the brightest lights compared to anything else its size currently on the market. In addition to boasting a bright white light, the HUNT23 has also been equipped with a UV light to illuminate things that might otherwise be hidden. The 100-lumen lightbulb can stream for up to 50,000 hours, powered by three common watch-type batteries that last around 60 hours each before they need replacing. That’s a lot of flashlight time.

While versatility, a compact design, and convenience are all important factors, the HUNT23 is also made from durable grade 5 titanium for long-lasting performance. The metal isn’t the only aspect of it’s durability, either, as it comes with a case that’s both water and fireproof. Put all that together, and it’s kind of indestructible.

Currently a fully-funded Kickstarter campaign, the HUNT23 reached its $6,146 goal in its first six hours online. Today, pledges continue to roll in in support of the unique and versatile design. The campaign ends October 26th, with initial shipments expected to arrive in late November.

The post HUNT23 Flashlight Multi-Tool Sets a New Standard for Small Package Performance first appeared on Dornob.

During a recession we want everything we do to be cheaper and easier – projects cannot take the place of work (or of finding a job) but no one wants to sacrifice style for convenience either. This clever do-it-yourself concrete clothing hanger is a great blend of easy-to-make, cheap materials and innovative look.

While frustrated by constantly-breaking coat hooks and simultaneously working on an unrelated project to fill light bulbs with concrete for artistic purposes, well, it is clear what happened next: the idea to fuse these two make-it-yourself projects into one cleverly functional idea.

The process and plans are pretty simple – undo the bottom of the bulb, fill it with concrete, add a lag bolt and seal it back up. After it dries, crack the glass and screw it into the wall. The result is durable and visually engaging though somewhat eccentric and industrial as well.

If you like the design but don’t want to go to the trouble of making one yourself, the project’s designer also has them available for sale online.

“Last winter after breaking out the serious cold weather gear, I found myself fighting the coat rack next to the front door. It was, to put it bluntly, failing miserably. Tipping over, breaking off, it was a mess. I swore before the next winter I would drive some serious hooks into the wall that would handle all my heavy overcoat needs. I just haven’t seen any kickass hooks yet that I liked enough to justify making serious holes in my walls.”

“I’ve been playing around, trying to make a concrete lightbulb. Why? Because I find the contrast of blending a new material like concrete in an everyday shape like a lightbulb to be a great design element. So while messing around with these guys, I realized this would be a great excuse to drive lag bolts into my wall for hooks. By embedding a lag bolt into the concrete lightbulb, I could make a wall hook that was useful enough to handle anything I wanted to hang off it. Thus this project was born.”

The post DIY Concrete Light Bulb: Make Your Own Coat Hooks first appeared on Dornob.

Award-winning designer Michael Chijoff used materials you’d expect to find in military and space projects to create his Tactica multi-tool. This gadget is both light and strong, and it’s hard-wearing enough to hold up to any adventure.
The Tactica magically fits a slew of handy tools into its sleek, portable frame, including a bottle opener, a package opener, wrenches (metric and imperial), hex sockets (metric and imperial), rulers (metric and imperial), and Phillips and flathead hex bits. You can even store two of the swappable bits inside.
Travel a lot? The Tactica is TSA-compliant, weighs just 1.6 ounces, and won’t scratch the phone in your pocket.

Ringtool

Originally designed for urban cyclists, the Ringtool is a great stocking-stuffer for anyone who might need to make repairs while on the go. Add it to your keychain, or throw it in a pocket or the glove compartment. After all, it only weighs two ounces and measures a mere two-and-a-half inches across.

The Ringtool is available in black and silver and is made from nickel-plated stainless steel. It’s so sturdy that the makers deliver it with a lifetime guarantee.

So what tools has it been equipped with? You get a bottle opener, two screwdrivers, five different-sized Allen wrenches, and a T25 Torx Head screwdriver.

Brass Capsule Multi-Tool

The design team at Garret Wade fell in love with “an early version of this clever little vintage pocket multi-tool at a flea market in London.” They’ve since updated the capsule, and now you can fall in love with it, too.
This three-inch, three-ounce container hides five handy tools. More specifically, there are two screwdrivers (one Phillips, one flathead) a corkscrew, a knife, and a drill bit/gimlet with a screw starter tip. Using the multi-tool is simple: “Just unscrew the two halves at the knurled center joint, select one of the five steel tools inside, slide it into the reinforced brass slot, reassemble the halves, and put it to work,” the designers explain.

SwissTool Spirit X

This device puts the “multi” in “multi-tool.” We’re talking a whopping 27 items! While we don’t have the space to list them all here, Victorinox Swiss Army has provided everyone with this handy reference chart (pictured above). Personally, we love the scissors, the unusual bottle opener, and the knife. Pliers and a can opener also make this a great tool for hiking trips and travel.
While it weighs eight ounces, it’s just over four inches long and comes with its own carrying pouch for your belt.

Zootility Tools PocketMonkey

If you have a wallet, you’ll always be able to have the PocketMonkey on hand. This flat tool is cleverly designed to take up next to no space while offering you plenty of fix-it options. It acts as a ruler, a straight edge, an orange peeler, a letter opener, a bottle opener, and it of course includes a couple of hex wrenches and screwdrivers. In a tech-based twist, the PocketMonkey’s design also allows you to wrap your earbuds around it to keep them tangle-free, and you can even use it as a handy stand for your cell phone.

The post 5 Clever Multi-Tools first appeared on Dornob.

With a few simple steps, the Leaf Cover can bring a dull room to life and provide a ton of useful storage space. The Leaf Cover is a little plastic piece shaped like two leaves and a stem. It fits right over a nail to green up any room.

Leaf Cover-clad nails can be used to hold jackets, keys, dog leashes and any other small, lightweight object. An entire wall filled with the little green sprouts can go from plain to magical in little more than the time it takes to hammer in some nails.

Designed by Jeong Hwa Jin, the Leaf Cover is a clever new take on the practical but unsightly solution so many of us use to keep necessary objects close at hand. It would be great to see the designer introduce other types of leaves and maybe some flowers in the future to provide a splash of variety on users’ walls.

“Leaf cover which gives birth to new life in a nailed and dead space. Design which brings new vitality with leaf growing out from the wall. with the image of leaf growing out from the Ground as motif, sprout grows in the nailed space of wall which gives no sense of life.”

“We tend to concern much about driving a nail because unsightly mark might remain or it is difficult to clean up. Mindlessly nailed wall. By covering the nailed place with leaf cover, it is possible to grant the feeling of new life growing from the wall. In addition, it is possible to grant various usability such as lid of ball point pen, picture frame hanger, and etc..”

“The project mentioned above will target on the European and American market by cooperating with SUCK UK LTD, and is to be released since the second half of the year 2012 through mass production. “

Buy them at SUCK UK.

The post Leaf Shaped Decorative Nail Covers first appeared on Dornob.

What do you get when you add a dash of 21st-century technology to home improvement tools? Much more accurate measurements and the potential for better results, even if you’re not an experienced handy person or carpenter. Plott’s new range of tools for DIY projects and professional construction work uses augmented reality to banish all the little inaccuracies that arise during the building process, like parts that don’t line up correctly. Plus, they look like a lot of fun to use.

Based in New Jersey, Plott is a collective of engineers, designers, creatives, inventors, military veterans, ”weekend warriors,” and DIYers dedicated to producing smart technology that blends the real world with digital tools. Whether you’re designing custom shelving for your kitchen or just trying to hang some photos on the wall, Plott’s “Cubit” and “Carta” tools are guaranteed to save you time you might otherwise spend double-checking your measurements and doing math, allowing you to really focus on the finished product.

After polling a number of seasoned DIYers, Plott determined that many of them felt like the calculations required to pull off high-quality projects were simply too complex, and that what they ended up with rarely matched the ideas they had in their heads before getting started. The company’s star product, the Cubit, aims to change that by using augmented reality to virtually measure any space using lasers and a smart wheel — no guesstimating required. The accompanying Cubit app then allows you to design virtually using real-world scale and context, so you can see exactly what your project will look like when you’re done. You can also share your completed projects on the app and browse other people’s projects for inspiration.

The company calls the Cubit “a GPS for your creativity,” adding that it’s “the first tool to use AR to bring your dimensional data to your smart device and bring it back into the real world after you have manipulated it. This means that after you measure your space and arrange it to your liking in the app using Mixed Reality, Cubit will then guide you with turn-by-turn directions to make your design a reality, bringing your project to life.”

Then there’s the Carta, which allows you to map out an area by walking a smart wheel on a stick along the ground, which could really come in handy if you’re building a garden path, shed, or some other outdoor project. Just take a picture of your planned workspace and walk around the area to create an interactive digital map, adding notes and pictures as you go. It’ll also calculate distances between two points for areas you can’t traverse, like thorny brush or slopes.

“Carta enables you to create a canvas where visual references gets pooled together with dimensional data. By bringing together pictures, notes, maps, links etc., and putting it all in dimensional context. It enables you to see how your plan will look, as well as how it will fit. Once you’re done with design, Carta will help you bring that design to [fruition].”

All in all, Plott’s tools offer a cool way for the math-avoidant to pull off all sorts of DIY ideas with aplomb, and they’re an interesting example of how augmented reality can help tremendously in the process of designing and creating.

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Sonic Soak’s inventors say that their device “aims to revolutionize cleanliness and hygiene in our daily lives by using ultrasonic cleaning technology.” So how does it work? “Sonic Soak’s modulated ultrasonic waves travel through water to disintegrate dirt and bacteria at a microscopic level,” they explain.

You’re probably thinking of the Sonic Soak as an alternative to a household laundry machine, and that’s true in a sense — after all, the tool is designed to thoroughly wash clothes. In fact, the company recommends it for cleaning lace, silk, cashmere, and other delicate fabrics that require a gentler wash. But dirty clothing is not the only thing the Sonic Soak can tackle. According to its makers, you can also use it to zap toys and baby bottles, clean jewelry, get any nasties off toothbrushes and razors, and put it in a bowl of water with some soap to wash pesticide residue and dirt off of fruits and vegetables. Oh, and don’t forget to clean that germy cell phone case and keyboard. Pretty much anything that’s waterproof is fair game.

The Sonic Soak’s inventors answer questions on the product’s crowdfunding page, where it’s already surpassed its original $10,000 goal by upwards of $400,000 — and there’s still a month left to contribute. While they don’t appear to indicate which lab they used to test the product and how well it works, they do note: “Ultrasonic technology has been used for years in medical and industrial applications and has proven to provide unparalleled cleaning results. We’ve harnessed this technology and compacted it into this sleek package using an antibacterial stainless steel exterior to ensure that the Sonic Soak does what it promises. Not to mention, in addition to lab testing, we’ve meticulously tested the Sonic Soak on our own clothes, accessories, and even ourselves.”

Remember that we started off by describing this gizmo as “small but mighty”? Well, allow us to explain. In spite of its power and versatility, the Sonic Soak is still smaller and lighter than an iPhone, clocking in at four ounces and four and a half inches long. That makes it perfect for people who live in tiny apartments or aren’t allowed to install a conventional washing machine in their homes. It’s also ideal for business travelers or backpackers who want to travel light and spruce up their clothing on the fly.

The Sonic Soak website says the device uses 15 times less energy than a conventional washing machine and 40 times less water, making it a green clean machine. It’s also extremely quiet, so you won’t have to deal with any annoying clunks or thuds as it goes about its ultrasonic work. Sounds like a win-win to us.

The post A Tiny Ultrasonic Cleaning Tool for Clothes, Furniture, and More first appeared on Dornob.

ShelterBox tailors its response to every kind of emergency, providing aid that helps families rebuild both their homes and their lives. While the immediate need for shelter, food, and clean water is obviously foremost in any response, the organization stresses that “[it knows] that a home is much more than bricks and mortar or tarpaulin and tent pegs: [its] kits and boxes contain the items that help transform shelter into a home.” This level of investment in the future is empowering, and it gives people hope that they’ll be able to rebuild and recover after a disaster.

“Our sturdy green ShelterBoxes are designed to help people who have lost everything,” the team says. “They are filled with practical tools and utensils that help to create the framework for everyday life. Each contains a family-sized tent that protects people from the elements and provides a safe space in which people can start to recover from physical and emotional trauma.”

Beyond that, the contents differ depending on the type of disaster involved. The local climate is also a factor. In regions that have lost power, you might expect to find solar flashlights in the ShelterBox. Elsewhere, you might find things like water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets to prevent exposure to cold weather, and cooking utensils so families can start setting up their homes again.

The ShelterBox solar lights can last up to 16 hours on a single charge. They’re also lightweight and capable of floating in water, making them useful in a number of emergency situations. When the immediate danger has passed, it’s important for families to settle back into a daily routine, and they can use these solar lights when they’re cooking meals or when their children want to read and catch up on schoolwork.

The company even offers another option to ensure that education is restored as quickly as possible: the SchoolBox. ShelterBox stuffs these crates with all the supplies a teacher could need to deliver effective lessons. There’s also a wind-up radio in the SchoolBox, so teachers can tune in to educational programs even when there’s no electricity. Use the kit’s chalk and paint to transform flat surfaces into impromptu blackboards.

“Individual activity packs mean that children have something of their own and the resources to express their feelings — at a time when their whole world has been turned upside down,” the ShelterBox designers explain.

The organization also ships out ShelterKits. These packages include tool kits, ropes, fixings, and heavy-duty tarpaulins for constructing emergency shelters, repairing damaged buildings, and laying the foundations for new homes.

“We customize these kits to suit the location and the needs of each community,” says the ShelterBox team. “Sometimes they include corrugated iron to help make resilient roofing, or even room dividers and mattresses to make warehouses habitable — whatever it takes to help people recover from disaster.”

ShelterBox says its kits and boxes are constantly being evaluated based on feedback from the families who use them. “This fuels us to be innovative and to continue evolving.”

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