The antibacterial properties of silver have been well known since antiquity. That is precisely why well-off households traditionally used silver flatware and the less wealthy kept a silver coin at the bottom of their milk jug. In fact, before it was rendered largely obsolete by the discovery of antibiotics, silver also played an important part in medicine. These days, the antibacterial action of silver is utilized primarily in surface finishing. Refrigerator manufacturers, for example, are always keen to point out if a product boasts such properties. One area where silver tends not to be used is in flooring. However, the Italian parquet specialists at Garbelotto are set to change all that with Silver Defense, an additive they have developed and launched with the specific intention of keeping the surfaces of their products as germ-free as possible.

According to its makers, paints, varnishes and oils that include Silver Defense help reduce the bacterial contamination of floors by 99.9% in just 24 hours. Tests carried out by the testing and certification body CATAS at its laboratories in San Giovanni al Natisone have confirmed this effect. As it is embedded in a kind of glass matrix, the antibacterial action of Silver Defense continues to be fully effective for a long time, even well after the floor has started to show signs of wear and tear. Standard cleaning methods also reportedly have little impact on the action of Silver Defense.

Parchettificio Garbelotto srl. (31012 Cappella Maggiore, Italy)
Website: www.garbelotto.it/en