The most interesting part of Sherwin-Williams Co.’s new paint isn’t how it looks. It’s what it can do.
The Cleveland-based company on Wednesday, Oct. 28, announced the launch of its microbicidal Paint Shield line. According to a news release, the paint doesn’t just keep common bacteria from growing, but can actually kill “difficult-to-treat, infection-causing bacteria” like Staph, MRSA and E. coli after two hours of exposure.
Sherwin-Williams said the paint can be used on hard interior surfaces in a variety of settings — from day care centers to cruise ships — but the release puts a focus on the part it could play in reducing hospital-acquired infections, or HAIs, as the company refers to them.
“Continued progress in combating HAIs will require a broad array of measures, including passive methods that are less dependent on human intervention,” said Steve Revnew, senior vice president of product innovation, in the release. “By continuing to kill MRSA and other bacteria, even after repeated contamination, Paint Shield offers hospitals and other facilities an important new tool to help in the fight against the spread of HAIs.”
The paint is the first of its kind registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, the company said in the release. The EPA test protocol found that the Paint Shield product remains effective for up to four years if surface integrity is maintained, Sherwin-Williams said.
Revnew said in a call with Crain’s that Sherwin-Williams is always looking for ways to resolve customer needs and this product line came about because of this identified challenge in health care. But it’s a product that’s applicable to a lot of markets, including kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms in residential homes.
The paint will have a list price of $84.99 per gallon, Revnew said. The line will be available in almost 600 colors, according to the release, and U.S. customers should expect to find it in Sherwin-Williams stores in the first quarter of 2016. More information will be available at SWPaintShield.com.
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