On a daily basis we are asked “What is an antimicrobial surface and how does it work?”. Often times we are talking to people who actually do have some knowledge on the subject, but are really wondering “Does it actually work?”

The key to answering this question is ‘breaking it down’ (pun intended) from the start.

When we are refer to surfaces that are antimicrobial, whether it be a fabric, bathtub or a floor, we are referring to a product or coating that has an antimicrobial additive. This is added during manufacturer or as a coating after. There are four mains types of antimicrobial additive, based on Silver Ion, Copper, Zinc and Organic technologies. These substances demonstrate the ability to

reduce the presence of microbes, such as bacteria and mould.

Our range of antimicrobial surface products utilise Silver Ion antimicrobial additives. Silver is the world’s oldest antimicrobial and has been used for thousands of years with evidence dating back to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese.

The use of this Silver-Ion Technology creates surfaces upon which 99.9% of microbes cannot survive. Laboratory and real-life testing has proved that the technology reduces microbes by 80% in just 15 minutes and 99.9% in just two hours (Check out this real life study on the world’s first antimicrobial classroom). The Silver-Ion technology effectively fights a wide variety of microbes including against MRSA, E.Coli and even deactivating the Influenza (H1N1) virus.

So now that we have got that out of the way, how does it actually work! Well let’s use a pretty diagram to explain!

The key to silver’s continued long term success is it’s ability to impact the bacteria on four key levels, rather than just one or two. Even some of the nastiest of bacteria, which may be resistant to some of the above actions, struggle and ultimately fail against Silver Ion’s four pronged approach.

With the correct technology, combined with quality surface products antimicrobial surfaces and even complete antimicrobial rooms are a legitimate option for your next build, upgrade or repair. It does work and is often no more expensive then standard existing products in the market.