IL Man Invents Toilet Timer So He Will Spend Less Time In The Bathroom

CHICAGO (CBS) — Necessity is the mother of invention, especially when it comes to the bathroom. That's why Adam Stephey of Normal, Illinois, and his business partner, Elliot Worth, launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their invention, the Toilet Timer.

"My wife would ask me, 'Where are you?' as she was trying to take care of the kids," Stephey says. "I realized I was probably spending too much time in the bathroom." 

"Toilet Timer Tommy keeps time for you by emptying his contents (sand) into his tiny toilet," according to Stephey and Worth's company, Katamco. "The Toilet Timer reminds you that when time runs out, it's time to move on."

Stephey tells CBS 2 he is marketing the gadget to people with a sense of humor. He also sees it as a gift that women can give to the men in their lives.

Stephey is not surprised to hear that women are sharing links to the campaign on social media, adding wry commentary about how their significant others spend a significant amount of time in the bathroom.

"I keep seeing blogs by moms about it. It's hilarious," he says.

One such blog is the popular Scary Mommy, where Valerie Williams writes, "Thanks to an innovative new product, you can head your partner off at the pass and give him a time limit before he begins his bathroom journey."

Rebecca J. of Chicago puts it this way, "It's a tale told time and again in "mom groups" on Facebook, and probably the most unanimous complaint we make. He's not fooling anyone; he knows that I know what he's really doing in there."

So far the Kickstarter has raised $6,371 of the $20,000 the company says it needs to break even. The campaign ends in mid August.