Are bamboo towels antibacterial?
Bamboo towels are a great way to reduce waste and help the planet so they’re something which should be on everyone’s shopping list.
To be clear, we’re not talking about fluffy towels you use in the bathroom, although you can buy those types of towels made from bamboo products. The bamboo towels here are an eco-alternative to the paper towels we commonly use in the kitchen and around the home.
It’s good to know what is unique about these bamboo towels and also dispel some of the misconceptions about the product.
A bamboo tree is actually a large plant and it does contain anti-bacterial substances, which the trunk uses to protect itself against insect attacks and fungus. This is a minor miracle because it means that bamboo can be grown without the use of pesticides.
As well as being resilient, it is also one of the fastest-growing plants in the world – some species of bamboo can grow 910mm (36 inches) in a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 40mm (1.5 inches) an hour.
Bamboo eco choice: why is bamboo sustainable?
Its rapid growth and suitability for growth on poor quality land makes bamboo a good eco choice as a large-scale commercial crop with all the benefits of carbon sequestration.
In terms of anti-bacterial properties, there is some overall research about the bamboo fibres and production processes, and this data advises that the fibres do not retain the antimicrobial properties that benefits the bamboo plant. However, if you use the bamboo towels with an anti-bacterial cleaner such as Ocean Savers Starter Kit, then they’re just as effective as an anti-bacterial wipe.
So is bamboo fabric antibacterial?
The bamboo fabric antibacterial claim, put forward by groups in China and Japan, has been repudiated in research at Colorado State University. The academics reported at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society that “bamboo fabric did not live up to antimicrobial expectations.”
What are bamboo towels, exactly?
There are so many other benefits – ecoegg Bamboo Towels are made with bamboo fibre that is responsibly sourced and are designed to replace the standard kitchen towels that help us waste so much paper every year. The towels come on a roll with perforations for easy tear-and-use.
Reusable Bamboo Kitchen Towels
But the great thing is that while they resemble the paper towels, they can be used time and time again, saving you money and benefiting the planet. Less paper use means fewer felled trees, so more carbon captured and less landfill waste.
The environmental alternative to paper towels
They are a complete, eco-friendly replacement for kitchen roll, and are versatile with several uses around your home. You can wash and reuse each sheet 85 times – that’s 1700 times for the whole ecoegg roll. The sheets are strong, super-absorbent, scratch and residue free.
They’re really easy to wash as well – simply put them in your normal white’s load and wash at 40 degrees, then hang to dry before you use them again … and again … and again!
They are also incredibly versatile, with so many uses in and around your home. They can be used across surfaces in your kitchen or bathroom, on both clear and mirrored glass and even on tablet and phone screens, leaving behind no streaks.
How much can you save?
A standard pack of single-use paper kitchen roll works out at around 88p a roll, with an average of 50 sheets, costing around £0.02p per sheet, which you use just once and then chuck away. An ecoegg roll of reusable bamboo towels costs £7.99, with 20 sheets per roll. So, if you use on average 2 rolls of single-use paper kitchen towels a week, you could save around £67 a year by swapping to reusable bamboo towels.
Manufactured in the UK, ecoegg Bamboo Towels are made from organic, sustainably sourced bamboo and the biodegradable packaging for these towels is also eco-friendly. And when they have reached the end of their natural life the towels can be recycled through any textile recycling unit.
