The World of an Antimicrobial
17th January 2022
The pandemic has brought about some truths…
The need for toilet roll and pasta in the UK. On a more serious note, it has set economic uncertainty around the world, affecting businesses even today to simply survive.
But can you imagine what the pandemic meant for an antimicrobial like Micro-Fresh®?
Just like with any other business, we weren’t prepared for the unknown.
However, one thing can be said, it worked in the favour of our product. It was then up to us to make the most of it.
As an innovative brand, we don’t just incorporate freshness into our products, but our thinking too.
Our Fresh Thinking efforts led to a proactive response to covid-19, from new product launches to new testing. Read more about our response to covid-19 here.
What is an antimicrobial?
Micro-Fresh® is an antimicrobial technology which is incorporated into products, to keep them fresher for longer.
A common question asked is, does antimicrobial mean antibacterial?
Antimicrobial means antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.
More specifically, here is what Micro-Fresh® is tested and proven to protect against:
Antibacterial:
Micro-Fresh® prevents the growth of bacteria by 99.99%.
Micro-Fresh® is tested and proven against E. coli, S.aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Antifungal:
Micro-Fresh® prevents the growth of mould and mildew.
Micro-Fresh® is tested and proven against Aspergillus niger and Penicillium funicolosum.
Antiviral:
Micro-Fresh® prevents the spread of viruses on fabrics and leather. Micro-Fresh® is tested and proven against reducing the cross contamination of human coronavirus and influenza.
It is important to note, despite being an antimicrobial, Micro-Fresh® is rigorously tested before making any specific claims like the ones mentioned above, even for human coronavirus.
As you can imagine, everyone wants to make the covid-19 claim to offer reassurance, which is exactly why testing and regulations are that bit harder to get, especially for an antimicrobial.
A Fresh Tip:
When on your search for an antimicrobial, it is vital to check claims have been tested and proven. If the claim is made, find out what evidence there is of this, i.e. certification.
COVID-19 Testing
The Micro-Fresh® human coronavirus claim is backed up. (NOTE: It is not a given that all antimicrobials are tested and proven against human coronavirus).
Micro-Fresh® has been independently tested with De Montfort University, the Centre of Excellence for Textiles, and the British Footwear Association.
The study looked at how long covid-19 survives on leather for the footwear industry.
The study found that coronavirus can remain on shoe leather for up to 2 days. With Micro-Fresh® treatment, this was bought down to 2 hours.
The team was led by DMU microbiologist Dr Katie Laird, Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group, and virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar. Find the full study here.
Not just fresh, Micro-Fresh®
That is just one example of testing. To make things easier, here is a list of Micro-Fresh® claims that are backed up by robust testing, compared to the wider industry.
Micro-Fresh® technology is an easy application which doesn’t affect the look or feel of any product.
We like to reassure our customers. Micro-Fresh® is an invisible treatment, just like any other antimicrobial. That said, Micro-Fresh® are not like any other antimicrobial, we are Fresh Thinking…
Use our state-of-the-art Micro-Fresh® detector pen to give yourself the reassurance that Micro-Fresh® is present with the flash of a green laser. Here is a demo:
Micro-Fresh® in markets
Micro-Fresh® can be applied to any product, from bedding to garments and footwear, to prevent bacteria and odours. Here is a break down of how markets benefit from Micro-Fresh®:
Sportswear
Sweat and bad odour comes hand in hand, but does it need to?
Micro-Fresh® makes workouts simple by preventing odour causing bacteria. This means, once Micro-Fresh® technology is incorporated into sportswear, there is no bad odour transferred onto garments.
This also has a sustainable outlook: Micro-Fresh® keeps garments fresher for longer, which means fewer washes at low temperatures, using less energy and reducing the carbon footprint.
Automotive
Imagine how many people in a month test drive the same car from a showroom.
Micro-Fresh® was originally formulated to stop the growth of mould on leather goods. Now, Micro-Fresh® has also been tested and proven to be effective against covid-19.
Provide that reassurance in car showrooms with Micro-Fresh®. Our technology can be applied into interiors, or cars can be treated with our Sanitaze Fogging machine.
Contact us to find out all of the options, along with how you can best market Micro-Fresh® in showrooms to provide customers with that utmost reassurance.
Footwear
Let Micro-Fresh® offer protection every step of the way. Give your customers that feeling of fresher, longer lasting shoes.
Micro-Fresh® technology is incorporated school shoes in the UK, which can be found in retailers such as Deichmann, Sainsbury’s, Next and Aldi.
Backed by robust testing and our recent covid-19 study with De Montfort University, Micro-Fresh® reduces the cross contamination of covid-19 on leather, and prevents the transmission of the virus on shoe boxes and surfaces during the manufacturing stage. This makes it safer and reassuring from supply to the shop shelf.
Transport
The pandemic is set to stay with us for the foreseeable future, so it's time to adapt and learn to live with the virus through innovation.
Micro-Fresh® technology offers protection through all transport, from trains to buses. Contact us to find out what you can do to bring back consumer confidence on foot.
Homeware
Clean, white sheets may look clean and comforting, but does anyone know what is really lurking?
Already used by Major household brands such as Next, John Lewis and Dunelm, Micro-Fresh® keeps bedding, baby bedding, towels and other homeware ranges fresher for longer.
Micro-Fresh® adds value to homeware with anti-bacterial, anti-odour, anti-allergenic and anti-dustmite claims.
From innovation and claim making to robust testing, Micro-Fresh® have it all. Be a part of our Fresh Thinking journey and sign up to our newsletter to stay updated.
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