Hurray scientists! They’ve developed a neat little goo to coat cloth in that cleans itself! Can you imagine how much water we would save if we never had to use the washing machine again? It would also greatly reduce the amount of eco-destructive cleaners that are used.
The magic goo is anatase titanium dioxide, a widely used pigment. Sunlight reacts with the coating to break apart organic molecules like dyes, turning them into carbon dioxide and water at room temperature. How cool is that?
The scientist coated some silk and wool with it, then stained both treated fabrics and non-treated fabrics with red wine and exposed them to simulated sunlight.
After 20 hours, the stains on the treated fabrics were almost completely gone, while the stains on conventional fabrics looked virtually the same.
When can we expect this magnificent marvel? “We are currently collaborating with a famous textile company for doing mill-trials,” said study co-author Wing Sze. “We believe it won’t be long before the product appears on the market.” They believe that clothes with self-cleaning properties will become a standard feature of future textiles. I’m willing to believe them too.
