Getting an active kid to stand still for 30 seconds is a challenge that can turn into a downright struggle when it comes to mundane chores such as hand-washing. Enter SquidSoap from Austin, Texas. Created by chemical engineer and former EVP of Dupont Photomasks John Lynn, the idea behind the product that pretty much forces kids to thoroughly wash their paws is novel, if not kind of cool. The soap is contained in a clear dispenser, draped in a toyetic orange rubber squid. When kids press the pump, it releases antibacterial soap and a small ‘squid’ ink mark that only washes away after a sound scrubbing of roughly 20 seconds, ensuring that kids get germ-free.

Bottles of SquidSoap (priced at US$3.99 apiece) began appearing at US specialty chains last summer and are currently available at 6,000 retail outlets across the nation. Starting this month, Target is carrying the product chain-wide, and by late summer it should find placement in 22,000 storefronts.