Of all the rooms at home, the bathroom is one of the most likely to be affected by microbial growth. The heat and humidity from showering, bathing and shaving creates a warm and moist environment which makes the majority of bathroom surfaces prone to microbes and the perfect candidate for antimicrobial applications.
Manufacturers are now looking at ways to stop the damaging impact that microbes can have on their bathroom products, not only to benefit consumers’ bathrooms aesthetically but also to increase cleanliness and product usability. In the process, bath product manufacturers are benefiting from a unique selling point for their product range.
Antimicrobial Applications Reduce Negative Impact of Microbes on Bathroom Surfaces
Microbial growth on bathroom surfaces results in a less fresh and clean environment. Alongside cleanliness issues, allowing microbes to multiply on bathroom surfaces without a counteracting antimicrobial application can quicken product degradation, limiting the usefulness of that item and forcing deterioration.
- Ceramic bath, sink and toilet – Stain and odor-causing microbes can dirty bathtubs, sinks and toilets and provoke issues such as grime.
- Towels – Absorbent and damp environment for microbes to thrive without an antimicrobial application. This provokes bad odors if towels are used and reused and provides the potential for harmful microbes and dead skin cells to spread if towels are shared.
- Bath mat – Another absorbent material that remains damp and harbors microbes. Usually not washed as often as they should be, these consequently become contaminated with numerous strains of microbes and are prone to odor.
- Ceramic wall and floor tiles – Prime candidates for antimicrobial applications are ceramic walls and floor tiles. Microbial growth can quicken product degradation if left to multiply. Tiles can become visibly less clean.
- Faucets – Microbes can easily dirty faucets and make them lose their shine, as well as provoke nasty grime and discoloration.
- Showerhead – Without an antimicrobial application, microbes can contaminate the showerhead and be transferred via the water droplets to your skin while showering.
- Shower curtain – Particularly prone to harboring microbes, an untreated shower curtain can have unsightly stains that are difficult to remove.
- Grout and sealants – Not treating these with antimicrobial applications can increase the rate at which grout and sealants become discolored.
These are just a few bathroom products that are susceptible to microbial growth without an antimicrobial application. Due to the humid and damp environment, everything from our toothbrush holders to razor blades can be negatively affected, and this can be a big concern to consumers.
Why Infuse Antimicrobial Applications Into Your Bathroom Products?
Benefit from ingredient branding
Microban® is the global leader in built-in antimicrobial applications and is a valuable trust mark that will reassure your partners they’re getting durable, effective antimicrobial protection. The brand awareness can rival those of other ingredient brands such as Intel®, Gore-Tex® and Lycra®.
Gain a distinct edge on competitors
Antimicrobial applications under the Microban brand can help to differentiate your product from those of your competitors. By partnering with Microban, you can also benefit from category and/or territory exclusivity, which helps to drive a competitive advantage within your marketplace.
Fight against product-damaging microbes
Infusing antimicrobial applications within your bath products can help to slow product deterioration, limit stains and fight against odor-causing microbes. This helps to keep bathroom surfaces fresher and cleaner for longer.
The Process of Adding Antimicrobial Applications To Your Product Range
Protecting your product range from harmful microbes has never been easier. Not only can our antimicrobial applications be infused into a plethora of products, materials and textiles, but also Microban makes it a priority to communicate with you throughout the product development process.
A comprehensive planning phase takes place before the lab work begins, where we test numerous antimicrobial application formulations to determine the formulation that performs to the highest level and meets all of the necessary safety and regulatory standards. We infuse the antimicrobial additive under your normal manufacturing conditions and educate your team on our methods to ensure there is no delay in your process.