Living in a healthy and hygienic environment is more necessary than ever. For this, there are materials that help us forget about germs and bacteria.
- Difference between antimicrobial and antibacterial’.
- THE ANTIBACTERIAL HOUSE: ITS MATERIALS.
- Antibacterial surfaces for kitchen, bathroom and more.
- Kitchen and bathroom furniture.
- Antibacterial ceramic.
- Eco cement.
- Laminate and vinyl floors.
- Earthenware for toilets and sinks.
- Shower trays.
- Also taps.
- Extra clean paints.
- Natural materials that keep bacteria at bay.
- And speaking of antibacterial fabrics.
If we have always emphasized the importance of having a clean and tidy house so that the home is that refuge in which we feel comfortable; coronavirus and COVID-19 have further highlighted the need to keep the interior of the home free of germs and bacteria. During the pandemic, we have become aware of the need to disinfect what we do not see and adapt routines such as taking off our shoes when entering the house or taking our clothes off the street as soon as we arrive.
That is why the near future is going to transform our houses into customs, cleaning habits but also into materials. The next reforms will focus on choosing antibacterial materials that guarantee that extra hygiene, surfaces where it is difficult for germs and bacteria to remain. The post-COVID-19 house is an antibacterial house.
But do you know what materials we are talking about? What innovations are there in this matter? What can you incorporate into your home to make it more hygienic and sanitized? We review materials and solutions that will surely surprise you because they range from natural stones to synthetic materials, ceramics, earthenware, fabrics, and paint. This is no time to focus on cleanliness, although disinfectants mention that besides which there are also ecological, and natural, the steam cleaning disinfects only with temperature – 200º-, killing bacteria organically.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL
Before starting with the review of the materials that will provide an extra to our house, we want to clarify that an antimicrobial surface is effective against microorganisms, which includes bacteria, mold, fungi, and even some virus strains. An antibacterial is effective against bacteria. Thus, surfaces with antibacterial properties:
- avoid fixing bacteria on its surface (bacteriostatic effect)
- if they “land”, it eliminates them (bactericidal effect)
The advantages of these materials are that they contribute to creating cleaner spaces, improve the quality of the interior environment, and prevent the development of diseases. All this takes into account that any antibacterial material does not replace a regular cleaning routine with the appropriate products.
THE ANTIBACTERIAL HOUSE: ITS MATERIALS
ANTIBACTERIAL SURFACES FOR KITCHEN, BATHROOM AND MORE
Initially, we thought of countertops. Both for the kitchen, where the surface is in contact with raw foods (which carry bacteria, you have surely heard of cross-contamination ), and in the bathroom where there is always an extra amount of moisture.
Quartz is a non-porous, scratch-resistant material. Think of those scratches as a place for bacteria and germs to “catch”. But surely by now, you know that Silestone and Neolith also have antibacterial materials for kitchen and bathroom countertops. Open your mind because not only do they serve this purpose but with them, you can coat other surfaces in your home that you want to be antibacterial and very stylish.
Silestone has a silver-based ion exchange technology. It is found in the Silestone composition and offers protection against bacteria. That is why it is a hygienic material for those looking for an antibacterial house. Silver ions are distributed throughout the product evenly and are released in a controlled manner.
Neolithic, as indicated by the brand, has a porosity close to 0, specifically less than 0.08%. It is a material impervious to absorption, therefore “hygienic and resistant to bacteria that cause diseases and cause allergies” and explain more specifically that “antibacterial materials prevent these bacteria from growing and developing. Not only the most common bacteria but also the most aggressive germs and other bacteria. Use is for the whole house, and the more antibacterial materials there are, the lower the risk of contracting some bacteria. It can be used on countertops, façade cladding, internal walls, floors, tables, and furniture, among others. “
Krion, a new generation stone material, devoid of pores and developed by Krion Grupo Porcelanosa, has burst into the world of deco. Among its properties is that of being antibacterial (without the need for additives, it is in itself).
KITCHEN AND BATHROOM FURNITURE
As you read it. Can you imagine an antimicrobial laminate? Well, it exists and can be used to make kitchen and bathroom furniture but also any other part of the house if you especially care about cleaning and that bacteria do not settle in the furniture, for example, in the event that there are pets in the house or people with an allergy.
ANTIBACTERIAL CERAMIC
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are also antimicrobial and will help keep the house cleaner. It can be used for walls and floors. They are an ideal covering, which will allow you to feel more secure at home without giving up design and aesthetics.
The difference from just cleaning or having antibacterial ceramic is that disinfectants temporarily reduce bacteria, not “permanently” as an antibacterial coating would. From Micro ban, specializing in microbial protection for ceramics, they indicate that integrated antimicrobial technologies for ceramics will actively control microbial growth on a ceramic surface and will act to extend the effectiveness of regular cleaning routines.” The antimicrobial additive is integrated into the ceramic enamel and is applied without altering the surface or requiring UV light for activation.
In fact, the Paraben firm has an alliance with Micro ban to manufacture antimicrobial ceramics from which Lifer Plus + was born, a ceramic enamel, developed and produced by Paraben, that “guarantees antimicrobial protection to surfaces, thanks to the advanced characteristics that they can block the growth of bacteria, which often causes unpleasant odors, “as the two companies point out.
How does that antimicrobial technology work? Again, it is based on silver ions, which are evenly distributed during production. This way, protection is achieved 24 hours a day and the efficiency of the cleaning routines that we have is increased “.
ECOCEMENT
Eco-cement coatings, such as those offered by the Cement Design brand, are antibacterial since when applied continuously, they do not create joints that are one of the main sources of bacteria. This achieves a covering for walls and floors -also used to finish off work furniture-, which is completely sealed, is not porous and does not allow bacteria to accumulate. Cement Design assures that it is a very versatile material since “it can be personalized to the client’s taste, thanks to an extensive combinable color chart and a wide range of textures. It also has an exclusive system that allows designs to be adapted including logos, drawings, illustrations, or patchwork. “
LAMINATE AND VINYL FLOORS
The Fins range has materials with antibacterial properties such as Indoor and Prefer laminate floors. A laminate is easily installed and in this case, it is highly recommended if there are pets in the house. But in general, it prevents the growth of bacteria also transmitted by shoes. You will also find models in Fats.
Also, vinyl floors are antibacterial. They incorporate antibacterial treatment and, in some cases, also a fungicide. They are all easy to clean but you will also have the extra that this feature provides.
EARTHENWARE FOR TOILETS AND SINKS
And here we have Villeroy & Boch’s AntiBac faience that guarantees long-lasting protection against bacteria, which significantly helps to achieve a cleaner, more hygienic, and bacteria-free house. Maximum hygiene in the bathroom because “it acts against bacteria and demonstrably reduces the appearance of bacteria by more than 99.9%,” they say. This has been confirmed by the Federal Materials Testing Institute (BAM) in Berlin and the independent BROKEN Institute for Quality Assessment.
The antibacterial effect is integrated directly into the bathroom ceramic with silver ions in the enamel and the toilet seats, allowing a considerable reduction in the use of chemical cleaning products (being harmless to health and protecting throughout life useful part).
SHOWER TRAYS
As antibacterial materials for the bathroom, it is also worth mentioning the resin shower trays with mineral fillers that have antibacterial surfaces through applied treatments. Thus, in addition to being non-slip, they have this plus of cleaning.
ALSO TAPS
The Covid-19 has made all treatments that prevent the proliferation of bacteria come to the fore. Technology that is also applied to faucets so that the faucet is not a contagious surface. This is the Healthcare technology, from Grape Presto Iberia, which just a couple of months ago – in February at Cevisama – presented its new range of antibacterial taps from Presto and Galindo.
EXTRA CLEAN PAINTS
These are antibacterial paints, which incorporate silver ions that inhibit and prevent the growth of bacteria on the walls painted with this type of product. Most are unchanged over time, so the effect lasts. Besides, they are paintings that do not smell and are washable. It is increasingly common to find them in specialty paint stores and large DIY stores such as Leroy Merlin. There, Cristina Barrera, paint product manager, tells us that “antibacterial or sanitizing paint is a type of paint called photocatalytic and that works as an air purifier. Through a process known as photocatalysis, it eliminates viruses, microorganisms, bacteria, fumes, and odors when receiving solar or artificial radiation In this way, with a painting like that you don’t have to clean the walls.
Blat em Paints also features antibacterial preservative paints with technology that inhibits and prevents the growth of bacteria on the paint film. As they assure, “antimicrobial paints help eliminate 99.9% of bacteria that settle on the surface in 48 hours. They are not surface treatments but are present in 100% of the product, which maintains the properties throughout the useful life of the product. ” You should know that the antibacterial effect of paint with these characteristics generally begins when the product dries completely.
NATURAL MATERIALS THAT KEEP BACTERIA AT BAY
Bamboo and cork. Surely you did not know that they contain antifungal particles naturally. This means that bacteria and microorganisms do not proliferate. It makes them natural materials that are themselves resistant to pests, but for the same reason, incorporated into the decoration, the same thing happens. the flax is another of those materials in the field of fabrics that has antibacterial and fungicidal properties. What does this mean exactly? That it can eliminate the activity of the pathogenic microflora, which is responsible for causing infectious diseases. So if we already liked it for being natural, its texture, its fall, its softness, humidity regulation… now we add stars as material for the antibacterial house. Bamboo viscose fabrics and wool are also naturally antibacterial.
AND SPEAKING OF ANTIBACTERIAL FABRICS …
Surely you’ve heard of Ikea’s Gun rid Shades – pictured below. And if you have not already done so, here we present them to you from El Mumble. These are curtains called pruificadoras, which use natural light to transform polluted air into clean. It incorporates a mineral-based treatment that purifies the air. So although it is not antibacterial it helps keep the house cleaner.
But antibacterial tissues as such are not new. They have existed for a long time although they used to be reserved in use for hospitals, residences, or children’s schools. It was a way to control the proliferation of pathogens. What is done in the case of an antibacterial fabric is to add minimal amounts of silver, antibacterial and fungicidal, to the manufacture of the thread? “What the thread does is release silver ions that adhere to the bacteria’s membrane, directly damaging them in some cases and preventing their reproduction in others”, as the experts in fabrics of Decoration Tones explain.
There are also antimicrobial additives for textiles, which are applied to fabrics in the production process and make this material resistant to bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
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