Antibacterial Silver

Quite a few of the Norwex microfiber cleaning cloths are labelled 'antibac', and claim to use antibacterial silver micro-particles imbedded in the cloth to disinfect the cloths once they have been used. I have to admit that I was a skeptic - I had never heard of silver being used as an effective anti-bacterial agent.

It only took a few searches to uncover the truth. The history and extent of use of silver for medical and water purification has been known for centuries. In fact, some ancient civilizations recognized that if they stored water or wine in silver jugs they stayed fresh longer. The old tradition of buying silver cups and cutlery for infants is also rooted in believing that the silver would keep the food/beverages fresher and healthier.

About the same time I was doing this research I also ran into silver impregnated band-aids on the pharmacy shelf. A little more research uncovered the common hospital use of silver in bandages for treating serious burns.

Silver is also used in water purification systems and for disinfecting medical instruments. Although this is less supported by research, some people also take 'colloidal silver' internally to fight infections.

Right now a very popular form of silver being used for antibacterial purposes is 'nano-silver'. The molecules are much smaller than micro-silver. This makes it much more 'available' but also an unnecessary danger to the environment, as it is more easily released into the ground water, where it continues to kill good bacteria along with the bad - a serious issue. So, it's preferable to stick with micro rather than nano silver consumer products.

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