Frequently Asked Questions

PurThread is a novel antimicrobial fiber that improves on earlier technologies by embedding powerful, safe silver and copper salts directly into the core of the fiber rather than coating it on or weaving it in. The result is a high-performing fabric that constantly protects against destructive and odor-causing microbes. And PurThread's antimicrobial protection never washes off or wears away.

University studies show PurThread quickly kills odor causing bacteria, helping fabrics stay fresh so that athletic wear can go straight from the gym to the coffee shop, camping gear won’t get musty, soldiers in the field can remain comfortable and focused, and hockey gear can be left in the trunk of the car without ruining the ride.

Consumer demand for products that control odor and microbes in their environment is ever-increasing. Adding PurThread to your products allows your brand to help meet that demand safely, powerfully, and durably with technology that promises maximum effectiveness alongside maximum flexibility in product design and ease of manufacturing.

PurThread serves as an important new technology and desirable added feature for your products. Unlike earlier antimicrobial technologies, PurThread will fulfill its promise to protect your products top to bottom from the first use to last while requiring no extra care or handling by your customers. Our labeling and hang-tag system highlight the enhancements of PurThread’s proven effectiveness and durability into your products.

Pure, natural, recovered silver and copper. PurThread incorporates safe, EPA-registered silver and copper salts from Kodak, a world leader in silver science and technologies. Microscopic particles of Kodak’s silver and copper are embedded within PurThread fiber, making its antimicrobial properties intrinsic to the fabric and providing coverage from top to bottom for the life of the product.

Silver has been used safely in medicine for centuries and is known to be a powerful germ killer. Individually, silver and copper kill microbes through multiple pathways - and together, they show synergies across a wide spectrum of microbes. When bacteria come in contact with the silver and copper embedded in PurThread, their ability to form the chemical bonds necessary for their survival is disrupted. These bonds produce the bacterial cell’s physical structure - think cell walls, so microbes come in contact with the silver and copper embedded in PurThread, they literally fall apart and die.

By killing the bacteria that cause sweat to stink. As it happens, sweat itself has hardly any smell. The trouble starts when moisture from sweat comes in contact with the bacteria on our skin. Those bacteria metabolize our sweat and in the process produce unpleasant smells. PurThread fights those smells by eliminating the bacteria on fabrics that would interact with sweat.

All PurThread yarn is rigorously tested by outside laboratories to AATCC 100 standards (the industry’s test to determine whether antimicrobial textiles kill germs)—and shows impressive effectiveness against many microorganisms, including odor-causing bacteria and fungus.

Additionally, fabrics made with PurThread have been tested by laboratories at the Universities of Iowa and Arizona, showing the promise of PurThread for healthcare applications.

No PurThread yarn is sold without being certified through the PurThread Certification Program. So if the tag on the product says PurThread, you can be sure it will protect the fabric as promised.

No. Because the silver and copper salts are embedded in PurThread rather than a coating, treatment or dip, it can never wear off or wash out. Laboratory tests show PurThread remains as effective after 100 harsh industrial launderings as it was before the first.

Yes. PurThread contains safe, natural, EPA-registered silver and copper salts as its antimicrobial agent. PurThread does not contain nano-silver (particles of silver so small they are considered capable of leaching into human skin or the environment), nor does it contain any potentially toxic or harmful chemical agents.

A 2011 study conducted by the Hohenstein Institute showed that textiles treated with silver have no impact on the good bacteria naturally found on skin, even after extended wear.

No. PurThread runs just like standard yarns or fibers. It requires no additional manufacturing steps and no special care, equipment or handling.

No, PurThread is known for working hard and playing nice. PurThread feels and functions like standard fiber. It blends easily with other yarns, dyes well, can withstand chlorine bleach and peroxide, and requires no special handling by the manufacturer or the consumer.

Yes. PurThread blends well with popular fibers used in today's premium fabrics such as Cotton, Tencel, Spandex, and Lycra.