The chief marketing officer of Polygiene stated that lots of interest, involvement and money in the new field of antimicrobial and antiviral treatments have caused many claims and disputes. He further stated that it had been only four months since they launched ViralOff and he had never seen anything like it.

According to the chief marketing officer the company has treated many things like gloves, scarves, wool for premium suits, jeans for Diesel as well as personal accessories for Fossil. He was baffled by the rapid popularity of the Viral technology from a niche market of face masks and scrubs to a widespread of products in recognized brands.

He has also warned some company’s claims to have tested on the COVID-19 as covid is the disease, while SARS-Cov2 is the virus. He also states that they are yet to test on the SARS-Cov2.

He believes that the entire reliance is based on the right to call yourself antiviral in the market. In the textile space the standard is set by passing the ISO 18184:2019 test and they have managed to pass this test on every application. This ISO test uses a virus called Influenza to represent other viruses as they are tough, enveloped and therefore harder to kill. If your product is able to reduce the number of viruses it has earned the right to be called antiviral in the market. 

However when it comes to the washability of the product there is another switch which pertains to the antibacterial effect rather than focusing on the ISO tested effect. Mats Georgason warns the consumers to look out for various washability claims on multiple washes and states that it is certain that an antibacterial test has been performed if it is for 20+ washes. He also claims to never have seen washability of 30+ for antiviral effect.

The tie-up with Diesel to produce antiviral jeans don’t need to be frequently washed which not only is in favor of the antiviral protection but also sustainability, as it reduces the consumption of water and energy.