If you can’t stand the constant chore of laundry, this might just be the perfect invention for you.
Scientists have developed a T–shirt that can supposedly stay fresh and odourless for more than 30 days without washing.
The HercShirt V5.0 is the latest product from the US–based startup Hercleon, which claims to have created the ‘world’s first laundry–free clothing’.
The company says this impressive ability comes from the ‘seven odour–fighting elements’ that are woven directly into the fabric itself.
The most important of those are copper and silver, which have antimicrobial properties that should help to kill the bacteria that cause bad odour.
Those bacteria–killing properties are supported by the use of ‘volcanic ash’, which contains porous minerals that absorb odours – just like you would find in some types of clay cat litter.
Hercleon is selling the shirts in three levels of odour protection: a three–day ‘Budget’ version, a ‘Standard’ version that can last for two weeks, and the ‘Max’ option that can keep fresh for a month.
However, don’t expect freedom from the laundromat to come cheap, as a single Max shirt will set you back $79 (£58.77).
Scientists have developed a T–shirt that can supposedly stay fresh and odourless for more than 30 days without washing
The HercShirt is the brainchild of Cameroonian–born inventor Wenceslaus Muenyi, who says he got the idea after finding that all his clothes smelled terrible after a few weeks of travelling.
This led Mr Muenyi to develop the first version of the ‘HercFiber’, a material that would help to keep bad smells at bay.
Clothes don’t just start to smell bad because they are sweaty or dirty, but because that sweat and dirt provide the food for smell–causing bacteria.
Microbes that live on your skin build up in the fibres of your clothes over time, producing byproducts that create the distinctive smell of body odour.
Mr Muenyi claims that copper and silver woven into the fabric of the shirt help to kill those bacteria, preventing bad smells from forming no matter how sweaty you get.
In a discussion on Reddit, Mr Muenyi cited research from the University of Southampton that revealed copper’s incredible antimicrobial properties.
Researchers found that dangerous MRSA bacteria were destroyed instantly after coming into contact with copper and copper alloys.
In fact, touch surfaces made from solid antimicrobial copper are already used by hospitals, schools, mass transit hubs, sports facilities and offices around the world to reduce the spread of infections.
The HercShirt V5.0 is the latest product from the US–based startup Hercleon, which claims to have created the ‘world’s first laundry–free clothing’. They claim you will only ever need to take one shirt on holiday with you
The company claims that there are ‘seven odour–fighting elements’ in the shirt that kill smell–causing bacteria so that you smell fresh even after working up a sweat
Besides copper, the shirt also includes materials that can help to mitigate the other sources of body odour.
According to the company’s Kickstarter page, zinc is used to neutralise the sulphurous compounds in stress sweat, while two secret elements tackle hormonal and ammonia–based odours.
However, Mr Muenyi didn’t point to any studies that specifically supported the claim that shirts including copper can stay fresh for 30 days.
Likewise, the company stresses that an odour–resistant shirt isn’t a substitute for good personal hygiene and won’t change how your body smells.
Similarly, the shirt isn’t self–cleaning, meaning that dirt or spilt food will still stain and build up on the fabric if you don’t take care of it.
Despite that, many laundry haters still seem ready to put up with any potential drawbacks.
On Kickstarter, where the project is raising funds, over 1,740 people have already spent $272,191 (£202,474) on odour–resistant shirts.
The shirt is currently only available in black, but will be made available in navy blue if the crowdfunding campaign reaches $30,000 (£22,315).
