to ask you to step up to The Dragon's Den with your best invention yet?

[HellAtWork]

I can't sleep.

But I did have an amazing flash of inspiration the other day when wearing a scarf, a hat and I had to hold onto the puschair on a jolting bus while fishing my bus pass out of my own personal abyss handbag, all at once.

Allow me to introduce you to the Utilitarian Snood. It has all the features of a regular snood, but more. (hat and scarf rolled into one - goes without saying, you'd be suing me under the Trade Descriptions Act otherwise). So. Much. More.

A laminated, see through pouch in which to keep your bus pass/oyster card so that in that awful moment of panic you only have to either (a) flash your head at the bus driver or (b) dip your head elegantly towards the ticket beep reader thingy.

Are there any other deluded unacknowledged geniuses inventors out there who would like to share? Or even Theo Paphitis (sp?) or that very attractive Mr Khan gentleman?

[Thefoxsbrush]

I just want a basket that clips onto a buggy when you're at the supermarket so I dont always have to get a trolley!

[SmethwickBelle]

I want a garden dustpan and brush on sticks so you don't have to bend down (yes I know they exist) ~BUT the brush to be very tough and plastic and dustpan to have a wire mesh/sieve bottom so it can be used to sift out cat shit from flowerbeds.

[Cursingtheboobytum]

I want wetwipes with a brillopad surface! For those non-odourous poos that you haven't noticed until the next nappy change that then required scrubbing at with a slippery wetwipe.

[BitOfFun]

Bins with an openable air vent at the bottom so you can pull the bag out without it being suctioned to the bin.

[LolaRennt]

Cat translator- because I know they are talking about me, but I wish I knew what they were saying

[BinEnd]

If JML are watching this thread - all of the above will be in the shops in time for Xmas

[debka]

I was just thinking about this today when i put my cake on the LID of the tin and then put the tin over the top, IYKWIM. I'm going to make a tin that's designed to be used upside down.

[somethingwitty82]

Indicators for buggys so people have no reason to tut when you pull in to a shop and they are trying to undertake on the underside

[SmethwickBelle]

I LOVE the brillopad wipe idea. It called to mind those "buff puff" facial wipes that were big in the 1980s.

[giveitago]

Well, my idea has been done. Years ago there was a science programme on bbc 1 (don't remember name - tomorrows world perhaps) and they were talking about the problem of burning materials.

I was about 10 and though well ash doesn't burn - can't you make clothes out of ash. Just a thought. When I was about 22 I saw some news item about this great new material made of ash (or some other material that was the residue of a fire). I could have been rich!

I'd love an invention that would mean more hours in the day. That's all I need. Or (bit late now) - something that would help with shopping in supermarket if you have a buggy as I struggled with buggy in one hand, handbag over shoulder and tiny and small yet uncomfortable basket in free hand. Never got the hang of it.

[K999]

A washing machine with 4 drums. Would have to be fairly small.....but you could was your whites, darks, coloureds at same time....

[purpleknittingmum]

I like the brillopad wipe and the cat translator!

When you buy products like moisturisers etc and it has the symbol on it to use within 12 or 24 months, they should have a little panel there too so you can write there the month/year you bought it so you know when to bin it if you need to! Similar with toothbrushes, I know you can get those indicator ones but so you know when to bin it after 3 months a little panel or do what I do as I am a saddo on this and replace them in Jan, April, July and Oct

[proudfoot]

Mine was going to be fully waterproof mp3 player to use while swimming, but a friendly helpfully pointed out that they already exist! I can get myself one for about ? 60 - quite chuffed that I don't have to go to the bother of inventing :o

[MrsKravitz]

Upside down cake tin has been done. I have a tupperware one

[purpleknittingmum]

Oh giveitago, weird when something like that happens, when I was about 10 I remember looking at maps (still like looking at them!) and thinking 'wouldn't it be good if you could have a book that would acutally show you where you are with some sort of flashing light or something

[Belljar71]

I have thought about designing an adult sized parasol/umbrella that could clip to the side of a buggy after struggling with holding a brolly whilst pushing a buggy.

[ScaredyDog]

My invention - more an idea for a company - is someone who goes to all the major supermarkets to clean their handbaskets.

Next time you go to the shops, look at the baskets. They are invariably filthy (I'm talking the plastic ones here). I've actually complained at customer services in Sainburys about the state of their baskets - they are visibly grubby, have stickers and other detritus stuck to the bottoms and can't be very hygienic.

I'd love to have a van with a pressure washer than turns up and cleans the lot on the car park.

[BagofHolly]

Belljar71, it exists! It's called "My Blue Bumbershoot" and it's massive in the US.

[BagofHolly]

I've already posted about this, and when I can't get to sleep, I start trying to work out how to do it:

A pram with a buggy board that the MUM stands on, with a little electric motor. It's a fantastic idea. Can't think why it doesn't exist.

[royaljelly]

The 'whinge eliminator'... A pure organic hemp scarf, ergonomicaly designed for any childs mouth. small dose of chloraform included.

[BagofHolly]

I'd like a line of babyclothes which have several layers around the collar, which can be removed one by one as the baby pukes/dribbles on them, without having to remove the whole garment. Maybe like a layered bib.

I'd like a stand that you could use in pubs and restaurants to clip a carseat onto, so they're at chair/table height, instead of having to put the carseat and baby on the floor, where people can trip over them.

I'd like a pram wobbler so I don't have to keep pushing it myself to get the baby to sleep.

[Thistledew]

A water-pan pump.

Basically, it is a thing shaped like a dust-pan such as you would expect with a dust- pan and brush, but where the handle is there is a hose, with a pump system in it, to pump the water up the hose and into a bucket.

Perfect for defrosting the freezer, draining the washing machine when it's own pump system jams because you have washed a bunch of hair grips and just generally dealing with minor household floods.

[pingu2209]

A very large plastic pelican bib for adults. You can get pelican bibs for children but not for adults. I don't mean disposable ones, but ones you would keep in a drawer for when you had spag bol or something.