London - If you’re constantly spilling food down yourself, or just lazy and don’t like washing your clothes, a student has invented the answer to your problems – a T-shirt that’s impossible to stain.
The shirts can resist any spills and splashes, including Coke, tomato sauce, mustard, beer, ink, milkshakes and red wine.
The clothing is made from polyester infused with chemicals that make it resistant to water.
Despite this, the T-shirts are said to feel “no different to any other items that could be found in a clothing shop”.
University student Aamir Patel, from San Francisco, made a prototype using a spray-on chemical, but found it would last only for one wash. He began looking at ways to incorporate the technology into the fabric.
He created a fabric that has the nanotechnology bonded to the fibres on a microscopic level. This means they won’t irritate the skin.
According to Patel: “Most liquid molecules will not be able to touch the fabric because of a microscopic layer of air that forms between the liquid and fabric.
“This is because the fabric is layered with billions of silica particles. Water-based liquids will form a 150º sphere and roll right off. As a result, this barrier protects your shirt from potential accidents.”
After testing his method, the business student created a page about the invention, named Silic, on crowdfunding website Kickstarter.
He has exceeded his target of raising about $20 000 (R213 000). The shirts are expected to be on sale online from May at about R500.
According to Patel’s Kickstarter page, there are certain steps wearers have to take to make sure the T-shirts stay waterproof.
These include not using fabric softener in a machine wash, no bleaching or washing with colours, no ironing. and no dry-cleaning.
To reactivate the water repellency, the T-shirt must also be put through a tumble dryer on a low heat at least once every three washes.
“The T-shirts are safe and will last for up to 80 washes, so you get about two years’ wear,” Patel said. – Daily Mail