Antibacterial versus antimicrobial: what exactly is it?

Antibacterial and antimicrobial are two terms often being used interchangeably. Technically however they don’t mean the same thing. What exactly is the difference? And what does this mean for the function and application of floors?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL

The most important difference between antibacterial and antimicrobial compounds is the kind of micro-organism (or microbes) they work against. Antimicrobial compounds works against a wide range of microbes: bacteria, mold, mildew, algae and even viruses. Antibacterial compounds are only effective against bacteria. So if something is antimicrobial it also is antibacterial. In terms of function, antimicrobial compounds offer a higher product protection by a continuous inhibition of the growth of microbes on surfaces for a very long time.  

WORKING AGAINST MOLD

Antifungal-technologies reduce the presence of mold like mildew, rust and yeast. They typically are based on zinc and they can best be used in environment vulnerable to humidity like bathrooms and outdoor spaces. Whether an antimicrobial compound also works against mold depends on the active ingredient being applied.

WORKING AGAINST VIRUSES

Viruses are the smallest kind of microbes and have in different cell structure than bacteria. Bacteria are living organism, viruses aren’t. They need a host cell to multiply. Antimicrobial solutions can also be effective against viruses. What viruses exactly differs for each product and can be determined through tests.

ANTIMICROBIAL LVT FLOORS OF AMTICO

The British floor brand Amtico offers a big number of high-quality LVT floors which are provided with a unique antimicrobial protection. This involves all floors with the Quantum Guard Elite urethane coating from the Spacia, Form, Signature and Marine collections. With the addition of ionic silver to this urethane coating a hygienic surface results on which mold and bacteria can hardly multiply or survive. Ionic silver is an additive which is proven to prevent the growth of bacteria like MRSA or E. coli during the entire usable lifespan of the product. Independent test of the Amtico collections concerned have shown a reduction of the growth of bacteria of no less than 99,99% in a time span of 24 hours. Furthermore, independent test of the (inorganic) antimicrobial additive in an array of different polymers and coatings have proven the working against viruses up to 99,8%, amongst which the human coronavirus NL63 and the Feline coronavirus.

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PERMANENT AND SAFE FUNCTION

The usage and wearing of Amtico LVT floors with antimicrobial protection don’t affect the antimicrobial properties. Accelerated aging tests of Amtico have proven for the function of ionic silver to be just as effective after ten years. Even cleansing with aggressive chemicals like bleach, alcohol and MEK don’t remove this built-in protection against bacteria. Moreover, the working of the additive doesn’t have harmful consequences for the environment. Since it’s embedded in the floor, it doesn’t leak or evaporate into the environment and it’s completely safe to use.

ANTIMICROBIAL FLOORS AND MAINTENANCE

Integrated antimicrobial compounds are not a replacement of cleansing and disinfection, but they offer an additional level of protection between the regular cleanups. This makes antimicrobial floors ideal to use in spaces with a lot of traffic or an environment where hygiene is especially important, for example in schools, hospitals, healthcare institutions and hospitality.

MORE INFORMATION?

Want to know more about our antimicrobial LVT floors and their application for your projects? Contact your LEOXX account manager or our inside sales department on 030 635 1000 | info@leoxx.nl and ask about the possibilities.