Sani-Stop

Most sane people try to avoid using public bathrooms wherever possible, but occasionally everyone gets caught short away from home.

In some parts of the world bathroom hygeine doesn't pose a problem (you could eat your dinner off the mens room floor at rest stops on German autobahns if you wanted to prove the point in an unsavoury way), but elsewhere the idea that you shouldn't have to rest your feet in puddles of urine while you're on the crapper doesn't seem to have taken off.

Beyond the suspicious puddles, wafer thin toilet paper and unpleasant aromas that characterise the typical public bathroom, a common problem is the lack of a lock on the cubicle door - whether due to damage or design I come across non-locking bathroom doors in bars with alarming regularity.

It's not so much of a problem for guys (what with our ability to pee standing up) but for women, who may need to sit down in a cubicle several times over the course of a night in a bar, I'm sure it can be quite trying to have to pee while holding a foot firmly against the cubicle door to protect against accidental walk-ins, and I know from experience that a subtle cough to make people aware that the cubicle is occupied doesn't always work, with embarrassing results.

The idea

The Sani-Stop is a handy, purse-sized doorstop designed for use in unhygeinic areas. Essentially it's the same as every other doorstop you've ever seen, but it comes with a disinfectant filled dock to cleanse the rubberised base between uses. Once the Sani-Stop has done the job of securing your cubicle door you simply pop it into its dock and press the power button (if battery powered, or turn a small crank if not) to run a disinfectant-soaked sponge across the base to sanitise it.

Additionally, the Sani-Stop comes with a spring loaded base for use on cubicle doors with a few inches of ground clearance. Release the locking catch and the body of the Sani-Stop will rise on strong springs to meet the base of the door.