# Antimicrobial clothing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 18, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666 "2013-05-18T07:54:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt357)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666/1 "2013-05-18T07:54:01Z")

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I bought a shirt that says it was treated with something called “polygiene” to be antimicrobial. It says its some kind of silver salt. When I wear the shirt its very irritating to my skin. Is there something in it besides silver? Because I wear a silver necklace and its fine to my skin. What kind of silver salts do they use?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666/2 "2013-05-18T08:06:55Z")

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Here’s [something on the subject](http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Silver_as_an_Antimicrobial_Agent#Silver_salts). It wouldn’t surprise if any kind of salt is a skin irritant.

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666/3 "2013-05-18T18:43:55Z")

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This sounds like a really bad idea, _especially_ if it works. I am not surprised you find it irritating.

(1) There are meant to be certain bacteria on your skin. They are doing you good. Some bugs are features, not bugs. You don’t want to kill them; they are protecting you from worse things.

(2) Most substances that are good at killing bacteria have at least some ability to kill, or at the very least harm, human cells too.

AFAIK silver salts are all fairly poisonous (to bacteria and people alike). I have heard of finely divided elemental silver being used as an antibacterial, too. Either is a very different matter from wearing a silver necklace.

My advice would be never to wear this shirt again, and do not donate it and pass the problem on to some other poor person.

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**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt357)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666/4 "2013-05-19T02:57:43Z")

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what kind of silver salts do the likely use? I have to wear this shirt because its a special type of long underwear called polartec powerdry that i need to wear when hiking.

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**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antimicrobial-clothing/658666/5 "2013-05-20T21:22:59Z")

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> [@njtt](#):
>
> AFAIK silver salts are all fairly poisonous (to bacteria and people alike). I have heard of finely divided elemental silver being used as an antibacterial, too. Either is a very different matter from wearing a silver necklace.

i’m going to need to see a legitimate citation for this claim.

> [@njtt](#):
>
> My advice would be never to wear this shirt again, and do not donate it and pass the problem on to some other poor person.

I’d take it. I wear boxers all day every day for the past 3 years with silver antimicrobials and i’m 100% fine.

Have you tried washing the shirt first?