Urinal deodorizer block
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Urinal deodorizer blocks are the small disinfectant blocks found in urinals. Other informal terms include "urinal mint", "urinal cake," "toilet lolly" (Australian), "urinal puck" or "trough lolly" (chiefly British).
The purpose of these blocks is to disinfect and deodorize washroom urinals. Placed above the urinal drain, they are air-activated and slowly evaporate when in contact with the air. Since they do not dissolve in water, they do not deodorize the flushing water and urine.
They are usually cylindrical — about eight centimeters in diameter, two centimeters thick, and weigh about one hundred grams when new. This shape is the source of their more informal name, as they somewhat resemble small cakes. They are generally pink in color, although other colours, such as green and blue, are seen.
The chemicals composing the block may vary. The base is commonly pure paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene. The block's functionality is enhanced by saturating it with a scenting compound and quaternary ammonium compounds. Urinal blocks of the size listed above and made of this chemical usually last 30–60 days.
Novelty cakes are from time to time manufactured with bull's eyes or pop-culture villains pictured upon them. There is an advertising or promotional talking block called Wizmark, including an "Interactive Urinal Communicator" providing an auto activated 15 second pre-recorded audio message or flashing lights from inside the urinal.
Urinal cakes are sometimes the source of pranks and shenanigans. Patrons on rare occasions have been known to stick forks in urinal cakes for all to see.
[edit] Popular culture
In a plotline in the TV comedy, Frasier, the character Niles Crane successfully blackmailed his wealthy wife with social exposure during their divorce proceedings. He threatened to reveal to her upper-class peers that her family fortune came from her grandfather's "invention" of the urinal cake.
In the movie Joe's Apartment, Joe is employed at P.I. Smith & Sons ("P.I.S.& S."), a urinal cake company; he works in quality assurance, collecting urinal cakes from public restrooms.
In Bret Easton Ellis's novel "American Psycho," the protagonist coats a used urinal cake in chocolate and gives it as a present to his unsuspecting girlfriend, who eats a bite out of it.
