A hospital fabric that cleans itself in the light: 75% fewer germs in real patient rooms

A team in Valencia has made an ordinary-looking cotton fabric that fights germs when light falls on it, producing a short-lived form of oxygen that breaks down bacteria, fungi and viruses clinging to the cloth. Tested for 48 hours in 12 rooms at the city's La Fe hospital, fabric placed in the light gathered 75% fewer microorganisms than plain cotton beside it — and it still worked after 20 washes, a hint that self-cleaning textiles could one day help hospitals stay safer between deep cleans.