Most antimicrobial wipes, predominantly made of synthetic fibers like polyester and polypropylene, are discarded after a single use and end up in landfills. However, USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists recently developed sustainable, machine-washable antimicrobial wipes that can be used at least 30 times for cleaning hard and nonporous surfaces.
ARS researchers developed antimicrobial wipes by using raw cotton fiber that naturally produced silver nanoparticles inside the fiber. These embedded nanoparticles can then release ions that act as antibacterial agents and kill harmful bacteria. The researchers say people will be able to clean surfaces by wetting the antimicrobial cloths with tap water and then wiping surfaces. In their research, scientists found that the wipes killed 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria on surfaces.
The worldwide antimicrobial wipes market is estimated to reach $21.6 billion by 2030, According to the Antimicrobial Wipes Market Outlook report.
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