United States. Sherwin-Williams confirmed the development of a new paint that kills bacteria that cause infections. The product, called Paint Shield, was certified by the Environmental Protection Agency for eliminating more than 99.9% of bacteria such as staphylococcus, E. coli and MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections).
Applications of painting can include medical complexes, changing rooms, schools, kindergartens, hotels, homes and cruise ships. The patented product contains proprietary technology developed by researchers at the Cleveland headquarters.
The product successfully completed laboratory tests to validate its health claims and certify safety. According to Steve Revnew, vice president of product innovation at Sherwin-Williams, "Sherwin-Williams' product differs in that it kills bacteria on the surface after two hours, rather than simply preventing organisms from corrosion from paint like antimicrobial products do."
"Other manufacturers put additives in paints to prevent bacteria from spreading and call them antimicrobial paints. A number of university scientists have made claims about antibacterial paint advances in the lab."
The antibacterial characteristics of Paint Shield are based on the inclusion of the quaternary ammonium formula, a widely used disinfectant that Sherwin-Williams recently discovered to stabilize paint.
