Don’t antibacterial nanosilver-treated microfibre cleaning products improve health and hygiene? We used to supply this kind of microfibre product especially within the hospital and aged care sectors but we stopped? Why would we do that? It was a great seller. Everyone loved the idea that their microfibre had antibacterial properties. Fortunately we discovered that the truth was very different to the marketing hype. So we stopped.
You may have purchased nano-silver microfibre in the past and found it works well. We do not question the antibacterial properties of nano-silver. So what’s the problem?
Here’s 2 of our reasons why nanosilver-treated microfibre products and other nanotechnology is no longer available at XO2.
Reason #1:
The majority of nano silver treatment can leave microfibres after just a few washes.
Many good quality microfibre flat floor mops and microfibre cloths can be washed up to 500 times. You would be reasonable to assume a microfibre cleaning product treated with nanosilver would still be anti-bacterial for the life of the cloth but this is not the case. In my opinion the research and evidence seems conclusive that the amount of nano-silver treatment lost from a microfibre after just a few washes can be up to 50%. After 6-12 washes it may no longer be accurate calling the fibre anti-bacterial at all. For hospitals and aged care facilities this is important information you need to know.
We stopped selling microfibre products with nanosilver antibacterial treatment because our customers expected and believed the products would do what they simply can’t. It would be dishonest for us to continue selling them because they are only anti-bacterial for a very short time at best. But there is another reason and it might be even bigger.
Reason #2:
Unknown long term health effects of human contact with nanosilver and nanotechnology.
Nanosilver particles are so small they are smaller than a virus and can kill bacteria on contact. There’s thousands of cleaning products on the market now with nanotechnology. Surely this technology is a good thing for health, hygiene and cleaning. Or is it?
At XO2 we love technology but we have serious reservations about nanotechnology. Little is known about the long term health effects nano-particles have on the human body. We sincerely hope there are no side effects however the evidence is growing that this might not be the case.
In this article from the Scientific American, University of Utah researcher Darin Furgeson was quoted, “I think we jumped the gun. We should take more time and really look at these new nano-systems before we start to throw them into personal products and shoot them into these ecosystems.” If you have time this article is an interesting read about nanosilver and fish mutations.
Conclusive evidence is needed about nanosilver and its effect on human life and the environment before XO2 gets on board. I hope that we learn lessons from the past. We don’t want to make the same mistake we did with such things as asbestos. It too was a fantastic new technology but was later found to be deadly. I’m not saying nanotechnology is like asbestos. What I’m saying is that if we put people before profits we should be certain of the side effects. Not enough is known and I hope this article will spark more research and debate.
We have received criticism from several people, mostly those who still try and sell nanosilver microfibre products, about our refusal to supply those items and our willingness to inform users why. This was a conscience decision based on our company values. Our company XO2 is all about people first. We are not perfect be we will always try our very best to put people before profit and be as truthful as possible. For that we don’t apologise.
Could we be wrong being so cautious?
Yes… possibly. Although we think that’s very unlikely we are very happy to being playing it safe on this one. We invite you to do your own research. Google things like: dangers of nano silver in microfibre cleaning products. See for yourself. And remember that your supplier has a responsibility to be truthful about their product claims. If you feel you have been misled or received product with untruthful marketing claims you are within your right to ask for your money back. Alternatively get in touch with the Office of Fair Trading in your state for further advice.
We would love to hear your thoughts on nanosilver in microfibre and nanotechnology in the cleaning industry. Get in touch. I’m sure there will be many different opinions.