HAYWARD, Calif. — Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Applied Silver, the maker of SilvaClean, announced a multi-year commercial agreement that will see the University’s NCAA athletics program use the proprietary textile protection system to protect all team uniforms, practice clothing, and locker room textiles from odor and stain-causing bacteria.
SilvaClean, an innovation driving a new standard of care for textile cleanliness, is a patented, EPA-approved water-based ionic silver treatment conceived alongside Cal Poly and developed and commercialized in Silicon Valley by Applied Silver, Inc. SilvaClean works on a wide range of fabric items by imparting lasting antimicrobial properties to the items each time they are laundered, protecting them in transport, storage and use from bacteria and fungi.
Already adopted by leading hospital systems organizations, the SilvaClean service is now a breakthrough key preventive strategy in the sports sector to help reduce microbial growth in athlete’s gear, according to the company. Under NCAA guidelines, anyone participating in organized or recreational sports is at risk due to the presence of open wounds, poor hygiene practices, close physical contact and the sharing of towels and equipment.
“This partnership underscores Cal Poly’s commitment to providing our student-athletes with the cleanest possible environment and athletic gear to help them achieve their peak performance,” said Tim Walsh, Cal Poly Mustangs head football coach. “SilvaClean will allow us to maintain the confidence of every student-athlete by helping to prevent common but dangerous infections that can seriously impact their health and wellbeing.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, staph bacteria that are resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics are more likely to occur in the “5 C’s“: areas such as sports locker rooms where there is crowding, skin-to-skin contact, compromised skin from cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of cleanliness. In addition to highly physical contact sports such as football and wrestling, debilitating MRSA infections are increasingly common among professional and student-athletes in other sports such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse, martial arts, and baseball.
“SilvaClean was first validated in the healthcare market and is now more broadly available to mitigate the risk from textile infection in practically any environment,” said Elizabeth Hutt Pollard, Executive Chair of Applied Silver. “As the college academic and athletic year begins, professional sports leagues ramp up, and we consider the widespread usage of antimicrobial technology at the Rio 2016 Olympics, we encourage innovative organizations to ensure their textile hygiene with SilvaClean.”
