Synthetic and blended fabrics have made performance apparel lighter and more affordable. Two problems came with them: body odor that stays in the textile, and fibers that break loose in the wash and leave the household with the wastewater.

Livinguard Better Fresh works directly at the fiber surface, with a proprietary blend of cationic polymers that is permanently bonded to the fiber and gives it a lasting positive charge. Polymers of different lengths wrap around the fibers and hold them in place, so fewer fiber fragments break loose during washing. The mode of action is physical, not biocidal: no registered biocides, no metals such as silver, zinc or copper, and nothing that has to leave the textile in order to work.

Livinguard Better Fresh reduces microfiber release during home laundering by up to 80 percent compared with the same fabric without Livinguard Better Fresh, tested under the same protocol. Tested by independent accredited laboratories to ISO 4484-1 and DIN SPEC 4872, with internal testing to AATCC TM 212.

The surface treated with Livinguard Better Fresh also binds the molecules that cause sweat-related body odor. They are electrostatically attracted and held; conventional washing removes the residues. Performance against body odor is validated over 30 home laundries (with individual results up to 100 washes, AATCC 135).

The technology is applied during finishing, by padding or exhaust, alongside other finishing steps and across synthetic, cellulosic and blended substrates. It requires no capital expenditure and adds minimal cost per kilogram. Hand-feel and the physical properties of the fabric are unchanged when the technology is applied correctly.

Brands that specify the technology can carry the ingredient mark on treated products.