Confused and skeptical about antimicrobial protection?
We were too, it’s one of the reasons it took us over a year and half to get our products to market.
Here is the simple science behind the powerful antimicrobial technology we chose, the proven data of how it works, and why it’s a safe option to protect you and your family from harmful bacteria, microbes and odor.
What is antimicrobial?
Anitmicrobials are agents used to kill and/or prevent the growth of microorganisms. Microorganisms are microscopic living organisms. Bacteria, mold and mildew are examples of microbials. They grow rapidly,
Antibacterial is used to describe an agent that prevents or kills bacteria only, whereas antimicrobial works against a broad range of microbes including bacteria.
Bacteria thrives in warm wet environments with a single cell able to multiply to over a million in less than 8 hours if untreated. Bacteria can irritate the skin as well as cause illness and disease including strep throat, staph infections, tuberculosis and other more serious bacterial infections.
The smell from sweat or wet clothes and swimsuits is odor from the presence of live growing microbes.
Bacteria and other microbes lead to decay and discoloration of fabrics, breaking them down and causing a short life. Bacterial odor gets trapped between the threads of untreated fabric, and is difficult to remove, often becoming permanent.
Is Silver an Antimicrobial?
Ancient artifacts from Greece and Turkey show that Silver, a natural metal, has been mined from the earth since 3000 BC, and has been used as a natural agent against microbes for centuries.
It is used extensively in healthcare including creams, ointments, bandages, medical devices and other practices including the treatment of water as a disinfectant.
How does silver work as an antimicrobial?
Silver ions which are charged particles have the ability to bind to microbe cells like a magnet and penetrate the outer layer of the cell.
Once inside, they create havoc to the normal environment disrupting the natural DNA process when multiplying.
Unable to grow, the cells die off.
Can Silver kill bacteria?
Silver antimicrobial treated fabrics release ions once the presence of cell growth is detected. They essentially punch holes in the existing cells and kill the bacteria.
Is antimicrobial silver safe?
Silver, being a natural element found in the earth, is a safe treatment for fighting bacteria and microbes. However, the application and use can differ depending on what’s added to the solution and the process used.
We use a Silvadur™ safe antimicrobial treatment which has a patented controlled-release technology to deliver low concentrations of silver ions, which uses less silver and less waste than other treatments, and stays longer on the fabric. Made with bound silver so no free silver is released into the environment.
It is approved by the International Oeko Tex® Association. Fabrics using this treatment are found to be non-toxic, non sensitizing, and non irritating to human skin and have been assessed as harmless to human health.
Our antimicrobial bags fight microbes for over 300 washings.
What about viruses?
While some highly specialized Silver and Copper infused fabrics have been proven effective in killing or stopping the spread of certain viruses, any claim without testing or certification can be false and misleading. Currently, fabrics with these properties are being used in the healthcare industry for PPE and in hospital rooms. The CDC is taking claims particularly around the coronavirus very seriously, and you should be diligent in your research toward any statements or guarantees.
We have not tested our bags against coronavirus, and make no claim to their effectiveness against the virus. Good hygiene and frequent hand washing is the best defense currently.
If you would like to see studies supporting silver fighting properties, or follow the science, we’ve included some helpful links below.
Studies, Properties & Historical use from NCBI – National Center for Biotechnology Information – Published from the US National Library
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315945/
How it Works by science magazine
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/05/silver-turns-bacteria-deadly-zombies
Medical Uses of Silver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_uses_of_silver
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