The self-cleaning stainless steel kitchen

June 6th, 2012

Appliance News Kitchen

Stainless steel is a virtually indestructible surface, unlikely to stain, scratch badly or corrode, it’s easy to maintain, to clean and is aesthetically pleasing. In other words it’s great for kitchens. Now scientists have developed a stainless steel coating that steralises itself, no chemicals or scrubbing required. 

Ordinary stainless steel won’t exactly absorb bacteria, but it if it’s not properly cleaned it may harbour colonies of germs that lead to sickness-causing pathogens.

The new development, dubbed the ‘killer stainless steel’, uses the bactericide properties of silver to disinfect a stainless steel surface. It can kill all E.coli bacteria within two hours, according to its developers.

Sparkling clean stainless steel appliances

It has been reported in the American Chemical Society’s journal Langmuir as a novel water-based approach that is convenient and simple.

Instead of toxic chemicals, the coating is made of negatively and positively charged micelle molecules. These are natural-born cleaners that have been “doped” with silver-based particles, which then causes an electrostatic interaction that kills bacteria.

What’s even more unique is that the substance used to make the coating stick to the stainless steel is the same stuff that mussels use to hold onto rocks and ropes. So it’s all natural.

Coating the stainless steel takes about 10 minutes.

On a similar note, Samsung uses silver nano technology for clean, healthy surfaces in its appliances, such as fridges.

The coating on their inner surfaces that serves to maintain an overall anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect. As air circulates over the coated surfaces it contacts with silver ions (Ag+) that resist airborne bacteria. In turn this suppresses the respiration of bacteria, adversely affecting its cellular metabolism and inhibiting its cell growth. Samsung reports that Silver Nano technology sterilises over 650 types of bacteria and that clothes washed in a Silver Nano machine remain protected from further bacteria for up to 30 days.