Researchers develop natural, washable antimicrobial cleaning wipes

Most antimicrobial wipes, which are predominantly made of synthetic fibers like polyester and polypropylene, are discarded after a single use and end up in landfills where they can stay for hundreds of years and become a source of environmental microplastic fiber pollution. But, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently developed sustainable machine-washable antimicrobial wipes that can be used at least 30 times for cleaning hard and nonporous surfaces.