Why Antimicrobial Coatings Are More Important Than You May Think

Growth of Antimicrobial Coatings Industry

The pandemic has had an impact on the growth trajectory of the AMC industry, which is rapidly expanding. New research by Grand View Research Inc. estimates that the global antimicrobial coatings market will grow from 2.44 billion in 2014 to 21.5 billion by 2028.  Research firm MarketsandMarkets predicts that antimicrobial coatings will become a standard requirement in high traffic buildings in the future. Examples of such buildings would include healthcare facilities, schools, and office buildings.  Commercial, healthcare, mass transit, manufacturing, and consumer home goods all benefit from antimicrobial coatings. In addition, building materials, such as flooring, paints and walls, would greatly benefit from AMC integration.

Benefits of Antimicrobial Coatings

The use of strong cleansers and disinfectants to prevent the growth of bacteria and germs isn't always convenient. The better solution would be to apply a longer-lasting surface coating.   Some global health authorities are suggesting proactive infection control measures be taken. They include stringent cleaning routines, hand-washing, and intelligent surface disinfection protection. Every 20 minutes, microbes will double in number on untreated surfaces. As a result, infections spread, unpleasant odors develop, stains develop, and products degrade. Once given a welcoming environment, microbes are hard to keep in check. Frequent cleaning is required. The growth rate of microbes is drastically reduced when a hostile environment is created.  Applying antimicrobial coatings reduces the need for constant disinfection, thereby minimizing harsh chemicals. In between professional applications of AMCs, soap and water can be used. Especially in schools where young children are present, fewer toxic chemicals would be beneficial. 

The probability of infection spreading increases in places where there are a high number of people and high turnover rates. It's a short period of time for infection to spread in an office where human interaction is happening, based on the 100-employee study mentioned above. Adding antimicrobial coatings to high-volume touch points, such as railings, doorknobs, handles, switches, entrances, restrooms, common areas, and furniture, would increase cleanliness by decreasing bacteria and germs.

Antimicrobial coatings could minimize the number of disinfection treatments incorporated into daily and weekly cleanings. Every 90 days, public spaces such as theaters, gyms, classrooms, and medical offices are treated with AMCs.

 What does CDC say?

The CDC states  that the virus that causes  COVID-19 can land on surfaces. It’s possible for people to become infected if they touch those surfaces and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.   If no one with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 has been in a space, cleaning once a day is usually enough to remove virus that may be on surfaces. This also helps maintain a healthy facility.   If a sick person or someone who tested positive for COVID-19 has been in your facility within the last 24 hours, you should clean AND disinfect the space.


Clean high-touch surfaces at least once a day or as often as determined necessary. Examples of high-touch surfaces include pens, counters, shopping carts, tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, stair rails, elevator buttons, desks, keyboards, phones, toilets, faucets and sinks.