Self-cleaning clothes shape up

A group of British scientists are to develop self cleaning clothes from fabric designed by the US military.

A thing of the past? self-cleaning clothes could have many applications.

The fabric, developed initially to protect soldiers against biological attack, is not only antibacterial, but can also repel water and resist stains.

John Almond, a director of Alexium - the London based company that will develop the civilian clothes - claims self-cleaning sports kits could be in shops within a year of a deal being signed with manufacturers. He said: “We are expecting sportswear to be one of the biggest areas in which this technology will be used. We are now talking to some major sportswear brands to use this technology, but there are hundreds of other applications we are investigating. These range from hospital bedding and nurses’ uniforms to air conditioning filters on planes.”

The new technology uses microwaves to fix particles permanently to the fibres of clothing. These particles have a range of properties that will make the fabric impenetrable to water and anti-bacterial, and though the chemicals will eventually wear off, the clothes can be retreated repeatedly.

The American military developed the new coating in a £14 million research programme over five years. It was initially intended to turn soldiers’ ordinary battle dress uniforms into kit that could offer protection in biological warfare.
Jeff Owens, the scientist at the US Air Force who developed the technology, said: “During Desert Storm most casualties were from bacterial infections rather than from accidents or friendly fire.”

Ottilia Saxl, the chief executive of the Institute of Nanotechnology, in Stirling, said that the treatment could have far wider uses. “This technology could have many applications, not just in the leisure industry. The anti-bacterial properties could be of great use for chefs in kitchens and in hospitals where antibiotic resistance is a big problem,” he said.