Livinguard, an environmental-friendly hygiene technology platform, is based in Zug, Switzerland. It is the first company in the world to empower textiles and other materials with self-disinfecting properties. It licenses its patented technologies to companies from various industries to improve the health and well-being of consumers.
Livinguard had earlier been in the news by developing protective face masks with Covid-19-deactivating properties. However, now it has stolen the limelight by announcing the launch of its line of odour-neutralising T-shirts and polos in the US employing its ground-breaking hygiene technology. This launch, putting these innovative, durable products into the hands of workers, travellers and others looking for comfortable clothing that remains odourless and hygienic over extended use and infrequent laundering, comes after a new study performed by Hohenstein Labs confirmed that Livinguard’s Technology can kill bacteria up to 99.99999 per cent.
Odour-neutralising properties
Livinguard’s proven ability to increase bacteria elimination at this scale is a watershed development in the hygiene and textile industry sector. And the odour-neutralising properties of Livinguard T-shirts and polos are a boon to consumers looking to spend more time outdoors. Made with patented non-leaching formulations that capture and kill odour-causing bacteria, the shirts can be worn multiple times before laundering, staying protected and smelling fresh longer while saving energy and water.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of hygiene technology in protecting the health of people across the world, and we continue to adapt our Livinguard Technology to new consumer products, including shirts with permanent antiviral and bacteria-fighting properties,” said Sanjeev Swamy, Livinguard’s Founder and CEO. He added, “Over the past year, the world at large has learned what we at Livinguard have always known — we must commit to embracing hygiene innovation in products we use in all aspects of our daily lives, from the clothing we wear and the linens we use, to the carpets we install and the protective products our frontline workers continue to rely on.”
The principle underlying the Livinguard Technology is the deactivation of microbes including bacteria and viruses. The technology applies a positive charge at the molecular level to textile surfaces, making them more powerful than the negative charge of microbes. Therefore, microbes are deactivated when they encounter textiles treated with Livinguard Technology. Textiles treated with Livinguard Technology have also been proven to deactivate viruses, including SARS-CoV-2* (the virus that causes COVID-19) by researchers at the Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Arizona. Furthermore, Livinguard Technology is safe for humans and the environment.
Odour-neutralising technology
With Livinguard leading the way, another prominent odour-neutralising technology is Scentry Revive®. A patent-pending technology Scentry has been proven to neutralise odours and maintain freshness on apparel for up to five consecutive wears between washes. Moreover, this technology takes the odour-neutralisation a notch above and claims that it can diminish foul smells attached to things like polyester athletic apparel, running shoes, mattress ticking, or bedding. By neutralising or preventing from building up between washes, Scentry Revive increases the useful life of varied products on which it is used.
When we are talking odour-neutralising and stylish attires, there is no way that we can leave behind SITA. This Saudi Arabia based brand puts innovation to stylish test with its unique range of clothing. Fusing the functional efficiency of athleisure with the structured look of workwear, SITA was nurtured with technology to bring a stylish range to the women of today. SITA is the only brand in the world with its own proprietary fabrics developed to wick moisture, neutralise odour generating bacteria, with four-way stretch and a cooling effect. Further, these fabrics are produced under ISO 9001-2008 Bureau Veritas guidelines and are also OekoTex Standard 100 certified. In addition, its mill is also ‘Greenpeace Protocol’ approved. The manufacturing at SITA adheres to the highest standards of protecting the environment as the way the fabric is dyed reduces water consumption by approximately 40 per cent and eliminates chemical waste. The result is a sophisticated fabric that feels and drapes like silk and achieves the highest European standards of sustainability.
Alongside these path breaking new garment lines, odour-neutralising treatments have been in practice for a few years now. For instance, the Tanatex LAVA Slurry is a finish that attracts, absorbs and captures body odour by harnessing the power of zeolites. HeiQ, on the other hand offers FreshTech for durable freshness and odour control. Then there is X-Static, the silver yarn from Noble Biomaterials that delivers anti-odour performance benefits under the harshest conditions. In fact, North Face had brought out a Spring/Summer socks collection in 2017, in-built with odour-neutralising technology. Creora, the largest spandex manufacturer globally from Hyosung, has received positive response to its Creora Fresh launch, again an odour-neutralising spandex/elastane.
However, it must be noted that these technologies are applied to fabric at the finishing stage to make the treatment more permanent. But with brands like Livinguard coming into the picture, the concept of odour-neutralising clothing definitely takes a new leap.
