Clothes for lazy people

Researchers in Australia and China have used nanotechnology to create self-cleaning wool in the sun. As a result, instead of sending dirty clothes to dry cleaners, you just hang them on the cord.

Nano-materials expert Dr Walid Daoud from Monash University in Melbourne and his colleagues announce their new findings in the journal Chemistry of Materials last week.

Daoud has actually developed self-cleaning cotton , but he says it's much harder to make self-cleaning wool. This is because protein-based fibers are more complex than cotton-based fibers, and are also more easily damaged by the chemicals that cover them.

The team changed the surface of the wool so that they kept a thin layer of titanium oxide particles of 4-5 nanometers. These particles are able to naturally clean under the sun. The light that activates the oxidation reaction, which breaks down bacteria and dirt without damaging the skin or wool, nor does it change the wool color.

Testing on colored wool and coarse wool showed that the coffee stains disappeared after 2 hours, the blue ink stain disappeared after 17 hours and the red wine disappeared after 20 hours.

The team hopes to use the technology on other protein-based fibers such as silk, as well as applications in room lighting.

One day, you just hang up your clothes on the sun, and they will clean themselves. (Photo: Gizmodo.com.au)