Noodad Product Test Drive: SquidSoap

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Noodad Product Test Drive: SquidSoap

Posted on 03 14, 2007 under Doodads by Noodad | Comments

squidsoap Have you smelled your kid's hands lately. If the answer is, "No" the odds are you don't want to start today. They say the places on the "Least likely to invoke the 5 second rule" list are hotel remote controls, escalator handles, and bowling ball holes. But they should list those smelly, sticky fingers attached to your kid's hands to that list as well.

Kids touch everything. And they have no sense of right or wrong. You could see a kid stick the hand down their pants, have a dog lick it partially clean, and then stick it in their mouths. Some of these instances are typically better left unsaid but that's me, "the sayer of the typically better off unsaid."

You could teach your kids to wash their hands all you want but the odds are they can't reach the sink, they only use the cold water, and if doesn't have a Disney Princess on the bottle, they won't go near it. Okay, maybe that's just my daughter but then who better to test our latest product: The SquidSoap .

The SquidSoap is one of those ideas where once you hear of it, you swear you are smarter and you can come up with a better idea. Then, after, many sleepless nights, you realize you can't because it is perfect. It is created for all those times you wonder whether your kid's hands are clean or whether they just pushed the germs around for a while.

See, the problem is: the idea of "washing hands" has a wide range of acceptable executions. You could ask your kid whether they washed their hands and even if your kid may be incapable of lying, it still doesn't let you believe them any more. This product is, in essence, the best way to know for sure.

ink_applicator_explanation The brilliance in this product comes from the fact that every time your kid pushes down the pump to disperse the soap, it leaves a small red ink stain on the palm of their hands. The ink, according to the SquidSoap press kit, is made from similar materials used in lipstick, made from FDA-approved ingredients, and in fact, is even edible. You won't want to make a meal out of it, but you will want to see how it is designed to fade away after 15 to 20 seconds of hand washing: the recommended amount of time for effective Hamburger Helper scrubbing.

Simple concept right? So what do kids think of it? My 4 1/2 year old daughter said it was, "Fo shizzle, off da hook." Ok, she didn't really say that. But after explaining the product to her, and her taking it for a test drive, she did ask to be "inked" more times than Dennis Rodman. Now it is the highlight of her routine.

The SquidSoap can be purchased at WalMart, or online at Walgreens.com , and retails for $3.99 . Let's recap: Fun for the kids, safe hand washing, and under 5 bucks. Seems like a no-brainer to me. And when you avoid a mini plague with flu-like symptoms sweeping through your household because your kid likes to play with your neighbor's dog's feces and only washes his hands for 14 seconds, you will have the squid to thank.

ReviewDad Rating: 5 noos (out of a possible 5)