Germ warfare

Science World, April 2, 2007 by Mona Chiang

Got dirty laundry piling up? U.S. Air Force technology could keep your clothes cleaner longer.

The technology was first used to keep soldiers healthy. Microbes, such as bacteria, thrive in dirty clothes. Deployed troops often can't change clothes for weeks at a time, which can lead to infection says Joe Wander, a research chemist at the Air Force Research Lab in Florida_ To combat illness-causing germs, scientists discovered a special process to attach nanoparticles to soldiers' T-shirts and underwear. These microscopic agents carry germ-killing bleach.

Now, sportswear manufacturers plan to use the process to attach water-repelling or stain-resistant nanoparticles to clothes. Result: dirt-busting everyday garments.