Chances are, you've seen StepnPulls in public bathrooms, but what about bringing one into your home? The Springfield-based company whose product has appeared on SharkTank and been ordered by NASA is debuting a new item for everyday consumers — an attachment that allows users to open cabinets without bending down.

StepnPull gained its claim to fame with its eponymous invention, a ledge that attaches to the bottom of a door and offers a hands-free way to open it.

The ToeIn follows a similar concept: "The product discretely and easily installs on the inside of a cabinet door via sturdy 3M tape and optional wood screws to securely mount the ToeIn," according to the press release, and allows users to open cabinets without their hands.

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The idea came about in 2021 and has been on the market for about six months now. Four-packs of the device are available on the StepnPull website for $14.95.

"The StepnPull was such a hard monster to target, because it's commercial. You can't market it with an infomercial. But with the ToeIn, it's commercial and residential, therefore you can market it a little bit differently. We've actually got some pretty good traction with it," said StepnPull co-owner Ron Ely, who comes up with product names.

Co-owners Kelly Coddington and Mike Sewell have ToeIn installed at their own homes, Ely said, and the tool is useful for places like the kitchen, as well as break rooms and doctors offices. Like the StepnPull, it prevents people from having to touch high-contact surfaces.

The ToeIn also has the potential to make life easier for people who cannot bend down and open up a cabinet. Ely said the idea of helping people do everyday things with more ease was always present throughout the device's development.

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"It all came about from the StepnPull, because it's the same thing. If you've got somebody who's got arthritis or doesn't want to use their hands, you can use your leg, a cane, anything to pull that door open," Ely said. "Accessibility, it enables anybody with a disability to access whatever anybody without a disability could. That's why (the Americans with Disabilities Act) is so important."

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people globally need one or more assistive devices, the use of which "maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being."

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: StepnPull inventors introduce hands-free way to open cabinets