New Self-Cleaning Film for Touchscreens Enhances Cleanliness at Airports, Doctor's Offices, Restaurants and Schools

FOREST, Va., May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent study of germs in airplanes and airports, the dirtiest places to touch weren't what travelers expected. The dirtiest touch point for travelers was the touchscreen on the check-in kiosk, which had 10 times as many contaminants as the toilet seat.

The combination of this study and comments from customers led NanoTouch Materials, the leader in self-cleaning surface products, to develop a clear self-cleaning adhesive film that can be easily applied to all forms of touch screens. This film includes mineral nanocrystals, which are powered by light and generate an oxidation reaction stronger than bleach.

"The more our product development team thought about it, the more applications became obvious," says Mark Sisson, co-founder of NanoTouch Materials. "We'd be in a restaurant eating lunch and see multiple servers touching the same checkout screen after handling people's dirty dishes and money. We'd see doctors carrying an iPad, entering information during multiple patient visits. So it became much bigger than just an airport kiosk."

NanoTouch Materials was the first to develop NanoSeptic self-cleaning surfaces, but this is the first clear material in their lineup. A wide variety of industries are already using their self-cleaning skins for high traffic touchpoints like door handles, and their mats for reception counters as well as portable applications for travel and food service. NanoTouch recently launched a self-cleaning liner for TSA security bins in airports and other high security facilities like nuclear power plants.

This new clear self-cleaning film uses a residue-free adhesive so it holds up to use in public spaces better than traditional static cling films. And the self-cleaning action works continuously to completely break down any organic contaminants deposited on the screen. NanoTouch has announced that the film will be sold in 12" x 18" sheets that can be cut to whatever size the customer needs. For applications like an airline check-in kiosk where there may be thousands of touchscreens around the world that are all the same size, NanoTouch can manufacture film sheets that are sized specifically for that device so that no cutting is necessary.

"We've already had customers in travel, healthcare and education reach out to us about being early adopters before we've even launched the product," says Dennis Hackemeyer, co-founder. "And we're talking to the research team at a major school of nursing that is interested in conducting a clinical trial to assess real world outcomes from using multiple self-cleaning surfaces in a healthcare environment. These surfaces would include door handle skins, reception counter mats and tissue box covers."

With most facilities, the janitorial staff is focused on traditional cleaning tasks such as emptying trash cans, and cleaning windows, floors and toilets. These efforts typically result in the only visual benefit since the facility looks clean. High traffic touchpoints, like door handles, are generally not a priority even though those surfaces are highly contaminated and touched most often. Touchscreens, by contrast, are almost never cleaned unless they are visibly dirty enough to interfere with use.

The cleaning processes and procedures have not adapted to the heavy use these touchscreens get. At airports today, airlines are directing every passenger to check in using the kiosks. This is a major change from just a few years ago when the touchscreens were only used by a few people looking to avoid long check-in lines. And while almost all passengers are now using these kiosks, no regular cleaning is being conducted, so a self-cleaning surface can help offset this lack of regular cleaning.

And similar situations exist in food service and healthcare environments. These screens are rarely, if ever, cleaned. Self-cleaning surfaces can help offset the use of additional manpower and cleaning chemicals. And with manpower being replaced by self-service kiosks in fast food restaurants and convenience stores, a self-cleaning touchscreen plays an even more important role in maintaining a clean environment.

NanoTouch Materials will be offering these new clear film sheets at a projected MSRP of less than $20. The sheets will be available through distributors or online at https://shop.nanoseptic.com/ starting June 1.

Media Contact:

Dennis Hackemeyer
888-411-6843
[email protected]

SOURCE NanoTouch Materials, LLC

Related Links

https://shop.nanoseptic.com