Researchers at IIT Delhi, led by Professor Javed Nabibaksha Sheikh from the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, have developed mosquito-repellent detergents in both powder and liquid forms. Designed to make everyday fabrics naturally unattractive to mosquitoes, these detergents offer a durable layer of protection against mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya. Unlike conventional repellents, this innovation integrates mosquito defense directly into textiles, leveraging routine laundry practices to maintain ongoing protection.
Mechanism and Laboratory Insights
The repellents in these detergents bind to fabric fibers during washing, influencing mosquitoes’ olfactory and taste sensors to discourage landing. Each wash effectively renews the repellent effect, addressing a major limitation of topical solutions, which lose efficacy over time due to sweat, rain, or physical abrasion.
Laboratory testing using the hand-in-cage method demonstrated significant reductions in mosquito landings—70-90% on treated fabrics—compared to untreated clothes. Importantly, these detergents retain standard cleaning properties, such as stain removal and fabric care, ensuring no compromise on laundry performance.
Effectiveness Compared to Topical Repellents and Sprays
· Topical repellents (lotions, creams) and sprays deliver active ingredients like DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 directly to skin or fabric, offering immediate protection. Initial lab results show high efficacy—80-95% reduction in mosquito landings—but these effects fade quickly due to perspiration or water exposure.
· IIT Delhi detergents, while slightly slower in immediate mosquito deterrence, excel in persistence, offering sustained 80%+ protection over weeks through repeated laundering.
· Primary advantage: Detergents target clothing, a major landing site, providing continuous passive defense without repeated application, unlike topicals.
Synergies and Limitations
· Topicals remain essential for exposed skin, particularly in areas not covered by clothing.
· Combined use maximizes protection: detergents for clothes, topicals for skin.
· Immediate potency of sprays cannot be matched by detergents alone, but detergents enhance compliance and convenience, especially in endemic regions.
Broader Implications and Public Health Potential
By embedding repellents in fabrics, IIT Delhi’s innovation offers a practical, cost-effective, and scalable solution. Integration into daily laundry routines makes mosquito protection seamless, potentially reaching millions in mosquito-prone regions. This approach could reduce disease incidence while avoiding chemical overexposure from repeated topical applications.
The research team has filed a patent application, with commercialization anticipated soon. Its relevance is particularly high given the rising prevalence of mosquito-borne infections in India and globally.
Redefining Vector Control Through Textiles
IIT Delhi’s mosquito-repellent detergents represent a unique convergence of textile engineering and public health innovation. While topical repellents provide immediate, skin-focused protection, detergents offer durable, fabric-based defense with minimal effort. Together, they could revolutionize mosquito-borne disease prevention, especially in tropical and endemic regions, by combining convenience, efficacy, and long-term compliance. This innovation positions everyday clothing as a frontline tool in vector control, marking a significant advancement in daily-use preventive strategies.
(With agency inputs)
