In the immediate pursuit of a healthy living environment, antibacterial paints are favoured by many consumers as a new type of wall decoration. Many of the market’s propaganda claims that antibacterial paints can make the walls sterile for a long time, but this is actually a misleading error.
Antibacterial paints work mainly by adding antibacterial properties to the coatings, such as silver ion and titanium nanodioxide. These antibacterial agents can inhibit the growth and reproduction of micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungus, thereby reducing to some extent the problems associated with the growth of wall-based micro-organisms, such as cortex, colour alteration, the creation of afouls and potential health risks.
However, the term “long-term sterile” is unrealistic. First, antibacterial paints have a limited antibacterial effect. Antibacterial content in coatings is not unlimited, and the antibacterial capacity decreases over time and during the course of use. For example, when a silver ion antibacterial agent reacts in constant contact with a micro-organism, the silver ion is gradually consumed, and when the concentration of the silver ion is reduced to a certain degree, its inhibitive effect on the micro-organisms is significantly reduced.
Secondly, the survival and adaptability of micro-organisms is far beyond our imagination. Micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi have a strong variability, and in the context of long-term exposure to antibacterial paints, they have the potential to adapt to the mechanisms of antibacterial action and to create resistance. Once a drug-resistant strain has emerged, the inhibitive effects of antibacterial paints on these microorganisms are significantly reduced, if not completely ineffective.
Moreover, the conditions in which the walls are located are complex and variable. In daily life, walls are exposed to a variety of material and microbiological sources. For example, dust, human skins, foams and so on in the air, which can be deposited on walls with large numbers of microorganisms. Even if antibacterial paints can inhibit the growth of some microorganisms at the initial stage, it is difficult to ensure that the walls remain sterile for long periods of time in the face of persistent microbial contamination.
In addition, the construction process and the daily maintenance of the wall will affect the actual effects of antibacterial paints. Inconsistent construction processes, such as uneven coating of paints, may result in an inadequate distribution of antibacterial agents on some of the walls, thus affecting the overall antibacterial performance. In day-to-day use, physical damage to the walls, such as scratching, bumping and destroying the integrity of antibacterial coatings, also provides opportunities for microbial intrusion and growth.
So, how do we view and use antibacterial paints correctly? When choosing antibacterial paints, consumers should view their antibacterial function rationally and not be misled by exaggerated propaganda such as “long-term sterile”. In the course of use, the correct construction and maintenance should be carried out in accordance with the product description to ensure that the paints are used to maximize their antibacterial efficacy. At the same time, a healthy indoor environment cannot be built on anti-bacterial paints alone, but needs to be combined with other hygiene measures, such as maintaining a well-ventilated indoor environment and regular cleaning of home environments.
Antibacterial paints do contain bacteria to some extent and reduce the risk of microbial contamination on the wall. However, the claim that it will make the wall “long-term sterile” is no doubt an illusion. In real life, the resilience of bacteria and complex and variable environmental factors determine the difficulty of achieving this goal. That is why we must put aside unrealistic illusions and build the right ideas. Scientifically rigorous understanding and selection of anti-bacterial paints is understood to be only one of the means of maintaining wall sanitation, not a panacea. At the same time, we are actively engaged in the day-to-day re-air, regular clean-up and disinfection initiatives to create a clean, comfortable and healthy living space that will safeguard the quality of life and well-being of ourselves and their families.
