HeiQ announces the launch of HeiQ Mint, a brand for biobased odor control textile technology that provides effective and lasting freshness for clothing and home textiles. The new technology is jointly developed with Patagonia to keep textiles fresh for longer and reduce the need for washing.

Textile innovation leader, HeiQ takes advantage of its presence at ISPO Munich 2022, 28th-30th of November, to launch HeiQ Mint, the new proprietary odor control technology based on a blend of essential mint oils. The plant-based technology is designed to make textiles smell fresh even after repeated usage, avoiding the need for frequent washes, thus enabling consumers to save water and energy.

HeiQ Fresh MNT-01, under the HeiQ Mint product family, was jointly developed with Patagonia. The technology was developed and refined since more than a year ago. It has been tested in laboratory and validated by wearer trials. HeiQ Mint addresses body odors on textiles and this function regenerates at every wash, with superior efficiency and durability that meets most end-use performance requirements. All other fabric properties such as breathability, hand feel, and wicking will remain unchanged. This textile technology is OEKO-TEX® suited, bluesign approved, and ZDHC compliant, with a USDA bio-preferred certification in progress.

The wearer trial during product development was highly demanding, with HeiQ Mint standing out in comparison to the other two tested solutions. According to Laura Hoch, Patagonia’s Materials Innovation Engineer, “out of all the anti-odor technologies we tested, HeiQ Mint provided the highest odor control performance, with the added benefit of being plant-based. This innovation enables Patagonia to deliver our customers high-performing products made with the best available chemistry.”

Another advantage of HeiQ Mint is the possibility for the chemistry and treated articles to be marketed worldwide, without the need for biocidal declaration on product labels, since it is based on a blend of essential mint oils and naturally derived deodorizing ingredients.

HeiQ Mint is ideal not only for next-to-skin products such as sports apparel, underwear, linings, and casual and business wear but also for home textiles such as bed linen, pillow fabrics, and mattress textiles, both on cellulosic and synthetic fibers.

No more smelly socks or shirts

Human sweat is inherently natural to all of us and odorless, but the volatile organic compounds (smelly molecules) resulting from sweat and other components on the textiles charge a heavy toll on our noses. Sometimes a shirt or a pair of socks is tossed into the washing machine after just one use because they are too smelly to be used again.

Consumers increasingly demand for products made of natural ingredients, and better use of finite and expensive resources such as water and energy. HeiQ Mint is the latest sustainable technology that enables everyone in the value chain to be in tune with such a welcome trend. Fewer washes also mean more durable textile products and fewer laundry products and fibers discharged into the environment.

This textile innovation will be displayed by HeiQ at Hall C2 – Booth 502, at ISPO Munich 2022, in Germany, from 28th to the 30th of November.