That handle on the toilet is can be a nasty thing to touch, particularly because you have no idea what the person who used it before you was touching.

Musician and inventor Eric Herbst had this in mind while playing in bars and nightclubs, where he (and 40% of all Americans) used to use his foot instead of his hand to flush. I have to admit, I’ve done that too. And the idea that people are using their feet on it — especially after walking across a messy public restroom — makes the handle a even less attractive thing to touch.

So Eric, who plays the drums, had the idea of adapting the peddle of a high-hat as a gizmo to do the flushing, so that everyone uses their foot and you never have to touch the toilet handle with your hands. This is how the Foot Flush was born.

It’s not exactly a new idea. I’ve seen foot buttons used to flush public toilets for years. But this bathroom accessory is unique in how simple and well-thought out it’s designed. Also, it’s perfect for the home … especially a home with kids.

Installation is as easy as you can get. You open the toilet lid, put the clamp on the back of the tank, snap a tube into it, and attach the end of a cable to the flush chain with an alligator clip. Close the tank. You’re done.

That’s it.

As it states on the instructions, the hardest part of the installation is opening the packaging. For me, the hardest part was taking pictures of the little adventure. If it wasn’t for that I’d have it installed and flushing in less than one minute. Literally.

There’s nothing to it and it works great. It seems very well constructed. I expect it to last for years. Also, if you have someone in your house that doesn’t care to use it, you don’t have to — the handle still works exactly as it had before.

Kudos go out to Foot Flush International for a ingenious product that definitely earns the title of being a Groovy Gizmo!