Inventor: Richard Heman
Invention: Heman Foot Scrub
Inventor’s Location: USA

Richard Heman has a bad back. The disks at his back are degenerative, and so, showering is not that easy for him. To worsen matters, he has worked in the construction industry for around 33 years.  His story is a classic case of necessity being the mother of invention.

Because of his back problem, he has trouble scrubbing his feet clean. So, he started to shop around to find a product that will scrub his feet clean. He could not find what he wanted. However, he did notice a lot of soap dispensers during his shopping trips. That is when his creative juices started flowing. He started  thinking, “what if I combine a bath mat with a foot pump and soap dispenser?”.

He started working on this idea immediately – his wife Juli supported him in every way. The result: the Herman Foot Scrub, named after him. He has a built in soap dispenser. The rows of bristles have been designed to scrub away the dirt, and dead skin cells along with it; thus softening heels and soothing itchy fungus. The bonus? It will massage your feet while doing this!

Herman is looking for a manufacturer to produce this. He has already spent some thousands for the legal paperwork, prototyping and marketing. So, he clearly believes in his product. He says it can also be marketed to spas and hospitals.

Here is Herman’s advice for aspiring inventors: “If it doesn’t exist, invent a better product that’s already out there.”