Cleaning
with sunlight
The sun
breaks through the clouds – and surfaces start cleaning themselves! It may
sound like magic, but in fact it’s all thanks to the addition of titanium
dioxide molecules. Activated by UV light, they trigger a reaction which
destroys bacteria, algae and fungi, keeping items such as the armrests of
garden chairs nice and clean.
Summer is
just around the corner and it’s time to dust off the garden tables and chairs.
But garden furniture that has been left in the shade too long is often covered
with a slimy film of algae, moss, bacteria and fungi which is difficult or even
impossible to remove. Scientists are now hoping that they can solve this
problem by incorporating titanium dioxide molecules in the plastic used to make
the garden chair and adding a little bit of sunlight.