Fabric coating lets clothes be wiped clean

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Skip the laundry detergent.

Clemson University researchers say they have created a coating that can be integrated into virtually any fabric, allowing dirt to be released when water is applied.

The patented coating allows clothing to be cleaned simply by spraying with water or wiping with a damp cloth.

The coating method could be sold to textile companies to be integrated into fabrics and one day could be available to retail customers as a spray-on. Not anytime soon, though; researchers say it could be five years before fabrics infused with the coating make it to the market.

The National Textile Center, a consortium of eight universities including Clemson, provided funding for the study through a grant administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The coating is one of the latest applications of "nanoscience," which has been used for everything from creating stain- and wrinkle-resistant clothing to increasing computer memory.

The coating - a polymer film mixed with silver nanoparticles - is infused into fabric, creating a series of microscopic bumps that cause dirt and other substances to bounce off when water is applied.

Unlike most water-repellent materials that are applied as an additional layer to the fabric, the polymer film is integrated into the fabric. The film won't make clothing look glossy because the particles are too tiny to be seen.