A Bottle That Can Make Every Drop of Shampoo Count

Shampoo slides off of treated plastic. (Photo: Ohio State University)

Ever spend $30 on a too-small bottle of shampoo, only to find that ¼ of it gets stuck at the bottom? We know the feeling, but researchers at Ohio State University seem to have solved this hair dilemma by creating a lining that will allow soap to pour cleanly out of plastic containers, so you can finally use the last $7.50 of your precious shampoo.

M.I.T. professor of mechanical engineering Gareth McKinley says that it’s not easy to create surfaces that repel shampoo and oil. “If you’ve ever spilled salad dressing on your tie or clothing, you’re well aware that it just soaks in and spreads immediately,” McKinley told The Times. “This is the first time someone’s demonstrated that you can do it in a very cheap, very common plastic.” Head researcher Dr. Bharat Bhushan says the new technology could also be used for fingerprint-resistant phone screens, car coatings, antimicrobial catheters, and stain-resistant fabrics.

Detergent sticks to untreated plastic (left), and slides off of treated plastic (right). (Photo: Ohio State University)

So are all shampooing woes solved? Not quite. A main ingredient of the new plastic coating, fluorosilane, is not environmentally sustainable. “There are a lot of problems with fluorinated materials in the environment,” says McKinley. “Many people are trying to move away from them.” The rarity of oil repellent surfaces in nature speaks to both the difficulty in developing this new plastic lining as well as the damage that it can cause in natural environments. Still, Bhushan is proud. “Here, we were going beyond nature. That was the goal.” Until there’s a sustainable solution, we’ll stick to shampoo in tubs to get every last drop.