Microbicidal paint creates safer living and working spaces

By killing bacteria on painted surfaces, microbidal paint can help control disease and discomfort.

At the 2016 International Builders' Show, Steve Revnew, senior vice president of product innovation with Sherwin-Williams reviewed the company's new Paint Shield product.

Revnew said Paint Shield is the the first EPA-registered microbicidal paint that kills greater than 99.9 percent of Staph (Staphylococcus aureus), MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli (Escherichia coli), VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis) and Enterobacter aerogenes within two hours of exposure on painted surfaces.

By killing these infectious bacteria on painted surfaces, Paint Shield offers customers an important new tool to help prevent the spread of bacteria that can cause hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), Revnew noted.

Paint Shield doesn’t just inhibit the growth of common microbes, it actually has the power to kill infectious bacteria, including Staph (Staphylococcus aureus), MRSA, and E. coli, thereby giving healthcare systems and other facilities an important new tool to help prevent the spread of some of the most common bacteria that trigger hospital-acquired infections. EPA-test protocol showed that once it is applied, the effectiveness of Paint Shield lasts for up to four years, as long as the integrity of the surface is maintained.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, healthcare-associated infections are one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States. Further, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that approximately one in 25 U.S. patients contract at least one infection during the course of their hospital care.

“Continued progress in combating HAIs will require a broad array of measures, including passive methods that are less dependent on human intervention,” Revnew said. “By continuing to kill MRSA and other bacteria, even after repeated contamination, Paint Shield offers hospitals and other facilities an important new tool to help in the fight against the spread of HAIs.”