FAQ

SilvaClean is an antimicrobial textile treatment developed by Applied Silver. It is a service consisting of a microprocessor controlled system that applies pure ionic silver to your current textile inventory. It works on all natural and synthetic fibers and gets reapplied each time the item is laundered. Ionic silver is a natural antimicrobial that works to kill stain and odor causing bacteria, mold and mildew using three (3) microbe-killing mechanisms: (1) inactivation of key enzymes such as those required for respiration, (2) disruption of the DNA process, and (3) damage of the cell wall. SilvaClean’s unique technology distributes the silver ions throughout the textile to provide ongoing antimicrobial protection across the entire textile surface before, during and after use.

An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (eg. bacteria, fungi, or virus) or prevents them from growing. There are two types: (1) Bactericides/Fungicide and (2) Bacteristats/Fungistat. Bactericides/Fungicides kill microorganisms that exist on a surface while bacteristats/fungistats only prevent bacteria from multiplying.

SilvaClean is a bactericide and fungicide. It kills stain and odor causing bacteria, mold and mildew.

SilvaClean is persistent. It continues to kill stain and odor causing bacteria, mold and mildew on fabrics before, during, and even after use. Most bactericides/fungicides require moisture (eg. sweat or urine) to be activated and are not persistent. SilvaClean continues to protect the fabric in between use and laundering when moisture is not present.

First and foremost, reducing the level of bacteria, mold and mildew on linens throughout the linen use cycle may reduce the risk for infection transmission. SilvaClean also reduces odor in the hospital room and improves patient and healthcare worker satisfaction. It’s easy to sign up for SilvaClean. There is no need to train hospital staff or to overhaul existing linen inventory. Applied Silver works with your laundry provider to transform all of your textiles into antimicrobial textiles. Lastly, there is a significant cost savings and reduced waste and water usage when compared to disposable or silver threaded/embedded options. Curtains treated with SilvaClean can be laundered less frequently because of SilvaClean’s ability to keep curtains free of bacteria, mold, and mildew for longer.

No. The SilvaClean service utilizes pure ionic silver. Ions are the smallest form of silver and are an established standard of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A silver ion is a silver atom minus an electron. The missing electron is what gives the silver ion its positive charge. An ion is already in its active state which provides several benefits over particulate and nano silver. For example, ions are more aggressive towards bacteria, mildew and mold than particulate or nano silver. They work against bacteria, mildew and mold in low moisture environments and work faster in high moisture environments.

SilvaClean is stable in fabric and has shown efficacy in real-time stability studies over 4 years. However, during use, the silver ions in the treated fabric may become “used up”. When the fabric is re-laundered, it gets replenished with a fresh treatment of SilvaClean so you never have to worry about the textile remaining persistent.

SilvaClean antimicrobial treatment does not change the way fabric looks, nor does it change the way it feels, and will improve the cleanliness of the fabric and reduce any odor attributed to microorganisms. In fact, it is impossible to tell that SilvaClean is present with the naked eye so Applied Silver has created a test kit, SilvaSure® that tests the treated textiles for the presence of SilvaClean.

SilvaClean utilizes pure silver and there are no known allergic reactions to silver in this form. Perceived silver allergies such as those to sterling silver jewelry are actually reactions to other elements in the silver based alloy, most commonly nickel.

Yes. SilvaClean is a better option for the environment than disposable textiles as a solution for infection control because it significantly reduces waste and any residual silver ions in the waste water are at a level significantly below the EPA’s requirements.

SilvaClean is approved by the US EPA as well as the EPA for each state. The active ingredient in SilvaClean is silver which is listed as a pesticide by the US EPA.

Yes. SilvaClean has been tested with several brands of detergent, bleach, sours, softeners, breaks, etc.

Yes, SilvaClean is approved by the EPA to be used for industrial use including use in all hospitals which include neonatal, pediatric, PICUs, etc.

Yes. SilvaClean® is safe to use with infants. The exposure levels have been analyzed and approved by EPA to be safe for use with infants.

The cost of treating your textiles with SilvaClean is about 50% less than using disposables. SilvaClean antimicrobial textile treatment is implemented in the laundering process on current linen inventory. No new textiles need to be purchased. SilvaClean does not require any new protocols or procedural changes unlike other technologies (e.g. copper hard surfaces, ultraviolet light machines, etc.). When compared to other infection prevention techonolgies as relative cost per patient day, SilvaClean is the cheapest option. For example, SilvaClean is more affordable than threaded/embedded antimicrobial textiles, copper hard surfaces, disposable textiles, UV light robots, hydrogen peroxide vapor machines and even bleach!

SilvaClean works. Other antimicrobial textiles on the market containing silver require moisture for their products to be activated and to work. SilvaClean is already in an active state to exhibit antimicrobial characteristics. In addition, unlike other antimicrobial textiles, the SilvaClean antimicrobial treatment never loses its ability to perform against bacteria. While competing products lose performance after laundering, SilvaClean® is reapplied during each laundering to ensure that performance is maintained.

Click here to see our educational packet: Education Packet

Yes. A study was carried out in three community hospitals to measure the effectiveness of SilvaClean® on patient textiles. SilvaClean exhibited a reduction of microbial bioburden on patient textiles before and after use. In addition, it showed a reduction of MRSA and S. Aureus on patient gowns before and after use. Click here to find the study online: “Reduction in bacterial contamination of hospital textiles by a novel
silver-based laundry treatment”

It is possible that SilvaClean® prevents C. diff infections by contributing to antibiotic stewardship. C. diff can occur in patient cases where antibiotics are used to fight off a prior infection. All of the normal gut bacteria is killed off, enabling C. diff to thrive in the gut and develop and infection. If the prior infections were prevented by SilvaClean, less antibiotics would be used and less C. diff infections would occur.

Infections are rampant among collegiate and professional sports teams including football, soccer, rugby and wrestling. Sports teams are using to improve the cleanliness of their textiles and gear impacting the athletic environment. Because SilvaClean addresses stain and odor causing bacteria in the textiles, locker room odor significantly decreases when SilvaClean is used.

SilvaClean creates a cleaner environment by keeping textiles free of odor and stain causing bacteria, mold and mildew and fungi. Dust Mites are a common issue for hotels. Dust Mites feed off fungus that is found in bed linen. Because SilvaClean kills fungus, it would also eliminate Dust Mites by removing their food source.Foul odors from smoking rooms are also a common issue for hotels. SilvaClean binds with nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco smoke, thus preventing foul odors from tobacco smoke.

Applied Silver is working on a product for home use. It should be available in 2017. Stay tuned!