1888 Mills Collaborates With DuPont On Textile Line

1888 Mills announced a new line of home textiles – featuring DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ DuPont INTELLIFRESH odor protection technology – that will keep fabrics fresher and clean smelling longer. The products, including bath towels, sheets, shower curtains and kitchen towels, will be marketed through multiple brand offerings, such as the 1888 Mills’ new Freshee line, along with private label retail brands at select retailers. The INTELLIFRESH treated products will begin shipping to retailers beginning the second quarter of 2019.

The Freshee brand offering is a direct response to inquiries from 1888 Mills’ customers seeking solutions to preventing musty smells that build up over time, particularly in towels. DuPont offered a proven solution with INTELLIFRESH, a built-in odor protection solution that prevents and minimizes odor-causing bacteria from forming on treated fabric surfaces.

The protection, which is enabled by Silvadur technology, begins by absorbing odors that may already be on the fabric and then attacking the bacteria to reduce continued odor formation or build-up. This value-added protection helps fabrics stay clean and fresh smelling longer, meaning they may not need to be washed as frequently, which saves water and energy – a benefit for the textiles and the environment.

Recent research commissioned by DuPont revealed that for the majority of consumers – 61 percent – removing smells and musty odors is their most important laundry goal. The most disliked smells, including body odor or mustiness/mildew, emerge as almost universally problematic – both were identified by over 90 percent of consumers across China, Japan and the United States as a problem in their households. However, despite the attention on these issues, the majority of global consumers do not consider their current odor solutions to be very effective.

In an effort to help provide a solution to this consumer desire for odor prevention, 1888 and DuPont innovation teams have worked collaboratively to deliver a built-in, odor-reducing solution for home and bedding products.

“This partnership is a testament to 1888 Mills’ commitment to listening and responding to its customers,” said Lexi Schladenhauffen, Senior Vice President of Marketing, 1888 Mills. “We look forward to marketing the Freshee line as a solution for our customers and consumers who are tired of persistent odors in their textiles and are looking for a cutting-edge solution. Partnering with DuPont allows us to provide innovative, value-added odor control solutions our customers look for us to provide.”

“Removing smells or odors is one of the primary laundry goals around the world, but as many 1888 Mills customers can attest, those odors can be very difficult to remove,” said Karel Williams, Global Business Development Director, Microbial Control, DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “It is much more effective to stop these odors before they have a chance to latch onto our fabrics. We cannot wait for consumers to be able to outfit their homes with 1888 Mills textiles, protected by INTELLIFRESH.”

1888 Mills also plans to introduce Freshee branded sheets and towels in their commercial/hospitality business – as a next-generation “room-ready solution” for hotels. Towels treated with INTELLIFRESH will not require laundering after delivery to their hotel customers and will create a fresh environment for guests when linens are being reused during stay or when re-setting the room. Freshee products will be protected against odor-causing bacteria during transit, storage and use.