USDA unveils a washable antimicrobial wipe made from cotton!

USDA researchers have developed a reusable antimicrobial wipe made from cotton.

They say it offers a sustainable alternative to the single-use synthetic wipes that dominate the market.

A USDA researcher, who helped lead the project, says they found a way for cotton fibers to naturally form silver nanoparticles, which kill bacteria through 30 washes.

“We can use those wipes made of a nanoparticle-filled cotton fiber and continuously wash after wash. We let cotton fiber self-produce nanoparticles naturally, so that nanoparticles are tagged or trapped within the fiber so that they don’t reach out, but release a very small amount of anti-microbial continuously so that we can use it for the whole course of the lifetime of a textile product,” said Sunghyun Nam.

She adds that the innovation is already patent-pending and being prepared for commercial use.

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