Local inventor hopes to wake up Americans to bathroom health issue

For less than $100, the practice of intelligent hygiene can be yours. According to local Lincoln inventor Albert Wokas, "sometimes the obvious is overlooked in the nation's multi-billion dollars spent to solve the health care problems in America." What's been neglected? "Everyone is taught from childhood that good sanitation reduces or eliminates the spread of germs and disease," Wokas said. "We were taught to always wash our hands after using the toilet, but no one has ever taught us to wash our bottoms after using the toilet, nor were we taught to wash our genitals before or after sex." Wokas believes he has the technology to change America's habits. An engineer by profession, Wokas has created and patented the Miracle Faucet. "It is better than a bidet and hits the target and gets the area clean," said Wokas, 85.A bidet is kind of a low-mounted sink where people wash instead of using toilet paper after using the restroom.Wokas' ingenious device turns any toilet into a combination toilet/bidet. While most American bathrooms don't come with a bidet, they are standard fare in most European countries. And Japan seems to have found a new place to install high-tech gizmos. He feels the invention is just as important for men as for women. Wokas first designed the device for family and friends. By 1992 he began thinking about patenting the idea. A recent newspaper article in the New York Times recounts the Japanese focus on designer plumbing. There are toilet seats equipped with electrodes that measure the body fat ratio, or greets the user with the flip of a lid and the blasting of air nozzles, either hot or cold. Some models can cost up to $3,000.Wokas' has more prosaic rewards in mind. Practicing intelligent hygiene with the simple device, which can be retrofitted to any toilet and done by any do-it-yourselfer, could help reduce the overall cost of medical care, Wokas said. That would result in reduction of oil, gas and electricity needed to heat hot water for showers and baths."Crunch the numbers yourself if you don't believe it," Wokas said. Additionally, Wokas said the environment would be protected by reducing paper waste in the sewer system.Wokas calculated water and energy savings that could occur with the use of the Miracle Faucet, and estimated the device could save a minimum of $5 a month per household.It's a savings he feels should not be overlooked."The plumbing manufacturers of bathroom fixtures have truly been negligent in not providing this sanitary feature on their toilets," he said. Wokas has teamed up with a local manufacturer to alleviate the problem. The Miracle Faucet is produced by Brock Distribution Systems in Jackson. A former hospital administrator, James Brock said he feels the Miracle Faucet is important. "The Kimberly-Clarks of this world have convinced Americans that if it smells good it cleans you, which is not true," Brock said. He added the Miracle Faucet could help certain medical conditions, including Crohn's disease and some types of colorectal problems. With questions, call (800) 872-4338, e-mail maeral@charter.net or jbrockbds@aol.com or write to A.L. Wokas, 1180 Sun Valley Loop, Lincoln, 95648. Julie Foster can be reached at julief@goldcountrymedia.com