In the first test ever to use the ISO method on the SARS-CoV-2 virus on textiles, Polygiene ViralOff confirmed the world’s first commercial textile treatment to reduce the virus by more than 99% over two hours
It is difficult to find a laboratory that handles this virus, as it requires a high-security level, and these laboratories are both rare and extremely busy these days. As long as this virus is considered dangerous, specific product applications will not be available for commercial testing. However, the company will be able to compare commercial tests with the results on the SARS-CoV-2 virus with those tests.
“On one hand we were convinced even before the tests were in. But now we have it on paper, and that has an enormous significance for our partners and the end-users. After all, people all over the world discard or wash things every day out of the concern that the virus might be present in the textile. This takes a completely unnecessary toll on the environment,” said Ulrika Björk, CEO of Polygiene.
The purpose of using ViralOff to treat textiles is not to protect the wearer from infection or make any other health claims. It is a treatment to protect the garment. This, in turn, means that no cleaning or disinfection is required.
Consumers are already washing clothes out of concern for odour and habit where it is not necessary. To this will be added concerns over viruses. In addition to the environmental effects of wearing more and washing less, some countries demand product disinfection before they are sold – a ViralOff-treated garment will continually do that on its own.
Polygiene will continue the tests across several materials as well as washing durability.
