The Benefits Of Antimicrobial Clothing

Posted on October 19 2017

Antimicrobial Technology Makes A Difference


Finding clothes that can stand the test of time is not always the easiest thing to do. When you are out and about, whether that means you’re enjoying the beach with some friends or making your way through the woods stalking your prey of choice, finding clothing that can keep up takes some effort. Even when you find clothing that can keep up with your active lifestyle, making sure that you stay fresh while performing your desired activities can be a challenge in and of itself. Luckily, we here at Shredneck have developed some of our shirts to make use of antimicrobial technology. In today’s post, we are going to go over the technology behind Microban and some of the benefits that this material lends to clothing. Continue reading below to learn more.


Smart Clothing for the Modern Shopper


Like many innovations, antimicrobial products developed from a simple idea. In the late 1960s, W.L. Morrison was contacted by a physician who was looking for a way to design a system to keep disposable medical products cleaner for a longer period of time. This simple need expressed by a physician led to the development of Microban materials, the first truly antimicrobial products that could be used for both medical and consumer applications. The Microban Products Company was officially incorporated in 1984 and became a commercially viable company with help from Clinitex Corporation. Since their founding, Microban Products Company has brought antimicrobial technology into the mainstream fold, making it an affordable product that has been used in multiple applications.


Innovation Leads to Consumer Applications


With Microban paving the way, it wasn’t long before antimicrobial technology was looked at as a way to tackle the issue of dirty clothing. Up until the introduction of antimicrobial technology, clothing absorbed odor and, for the most part, would retain that odor until the item of clothing was washed. This wasn’t such a bad thing for general clothing items because people didn’t really sweat that much in them. However, in terms of clothing designed to be worn outside, in the gym, or during intense physical activity, the odor issue could become a major problem. Luckily, by eliminating the amount of bacteria that could be transferred into an item of clothing, antimicrobial technology made it possible to have active gear that stayed fresh longer. Below, we have listed a few more benefits that antimicrobial properties impart to clothing.


  • Stay Fresh: The most obvious benefit to antimicrobial clothing is the fact that it does not retain odor in the same way that clothing without this technology does. While we aren’t saying that you can roll around in a puddle of mud and expect to come out smelling like daisies, antimicrobial clothing will keep you fresh during strenuous activity. Body odor, when you get down to the science behind it, is caused by bacteria. This bacteria feeds on the sweat that is produced by our bodies and, in turn, produces odor. By eliminating bacteria from the equation, the majority of the odor associated with physical activity is greatly reduced.
  • Fewer Washes: Because antimicrobial clothing stays cleaner for a longer period of time than normal clothing, it does not need to be washed as much as normal clothing. Not only is this a good thing for the clothing in question, considering the fact that washing clothes is what leads to the breakdown of clothing fibers, it’s also a good thing as far as efficiency goes. If you have to wash clothes less, you save money on the water and energy needed to make sure your clothing is fresh.
  • No Permastink: While the term “permastink” may not be something that you are familiar with on a language level, everyone reading this knows what it is. Have you ever had a favorite shirt that, after years of wear and tear, never really smells clean? This is a common occurrence for older pieces of clothing because, over the years, the amount of bacteria that the item of clothing has been exposed to causes it to have an almost permanent odor to it. With antimicrobial clothing, this is not as much of an issue because it keeps the buildup of bacteria from happening.
  • Longer Lifespan: When you take all of the above benefits and combine them, what you’re left with are clothing items that last longer than those that do not contain antimicrobial technology. Extending the life of your clothing is always a positive thing, helping you save money and allowing you to enjoy the clothing you have bought for a longer period of time.

    • If you would like to learn more about our performance line of outdoor clothing, please visit our website today. At Shredneck, we make every effort to provide our customers with the best products possible and we believe that once you have seen the quality of our clothing for yourself, you will quickly see why people chose to wear our brand.

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