CREDIT: LAM LE
What home remedy invention have you created that could translate to $$$?

Now, I’m not saying I enjoy or encourage challenging events to take place in my life, but let’s be honest, we all know s#!t happens.

Sometimes it’s just the nuisance of a thing that can drive you to search for an alternative, solution or remedy that will calm your nerves. I am of the stock that would throw temper tantrums and feel defeated upon having to face those opportunistic moments to flex my creative muscles. With age and a more controlled and tempered demeanor, I have grown to accept the fact that these vexing situations are a chance to become the next Nikola Tesla.

The heat of the summer really drains my energy, as it does to many. It makes my ability to sleep near impossible. Comfort levels are non-existent especially when you feel like you’ve just stepped out of the shower in full attire.


Living in an apartment building with no central air conditioning makes spending time indoors a heavy, sticky and smelly experience. A built-in receptacle, for air conditioning units, is positioned in an area that isn’t compatible with the electrical feng shui of the rest of the apartment. This generates cool air in a tiny corner of my home that can be occupied by anything other than people.

My bedroom is incapable of vacating the humidity that builds throughout the day, so even with an oscillating fan, the most relief I can hope for is that of dragon’s breath blowing hot air on me. There were only so many things that I could do to keep cool, especially before going to sleep.

I could strip down to my gitches, take a cold shower, or soak in Aloe Vera waiting for that cool effect to take place. All of these ‘solutions’ have been attempted, with windows wide open, but none maintained their cooling properties long enough. Then, I had a eureka moment!

Now, it isn’t without its flaws, but for me, when the alternative is an inability to fall asleep because it is so muggy, the trade off is worth it. Early in the day I take a clean face cloth or hand towel, soak it with water and then wring it out. I then take and place it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer.

Just before bed I go back to the freezer and remove the now frozen hand or face cloth, unfold it and lay it across my bare back or stomach. My body temperature would instantly cool down and my ability to fall asleep would improve tenfold. Satisfaction! Now, as mentioned, my solution isn’t without its flaws, mainly, what becomes of the frozen towel once you’ve fallen asleep? But some annoyances are worth dealing with over others, so waking up to a wet towel underneath me is a risk worth taking if it means freedom from sleepless nights.

While my idea may not be the next hot ticket item on the Forbes Fortune 500, it does provide a solution for me that I badly needed solved. In today’s economy, more and more ingenious ideas are being offered to the masses, some inexpensive ideas such as my own as well as more intricately designed, yet simply applied, solutions to problems that occur on a regular basis. Below are a list of some of these items on the market around the globe today:

• A bread clip used to reattach a button to clothing

• Electronic door assist buttons that are near a person’s feet as well as their hands

• Highlighters with a clear section that allows the user to see what they’re highlighting

• Rotating benches with a crank on either side that keep the seat dry after a rainfall

• Addressing difficulty retaining class lessons and homework by affixing a bar code to homework that when scanned takes you to a tutorial that further explains the lesson plan

• Elevators with floor buttons near your feet for those moments when your hands are full

• Toilet paper with a smaller roll on the inside so that people can take it on the go

• A Japanese public toilet that has a privacy button that plays music while you do your business so no one can hear you

• Dressing rooms that allow you to choose what type of lighting you can try clothes on in (for a more accurate assessment of what you look like)

• A bathroom with a button that informs employees that you’ve run out of toilet paper

Who knows, maybe you’ve concocted a solution for an every day problem and are on the brink of consumer popularity. In any case, when these every day annoyances make an appearance in your life, don’t fret, just get busy getting creative and who knows what your imagination will conjure up.