Jeans that clean themselves? Scientists make cotton that 'washes off' bacteria and stains in sunlight

If your pile of laundry never seems to get any smaller, don’t despair.

Scientists have developed a  self-cleaning cotton which could  one day make washing clothes a chore of the past.

The cloth is covered in a special  titanium dioxide coating which breaks down dirt and stains when exposed to sunlight.

The compound is already used in a range of products, including  self-cleaning windows, kitchen and bathroom tiles, sunscreen and even odour-free socks.

Self-cleaning cotton has been made before, the researchers explained, but it was of limited use as it only cleaned itself properly when exposed to UV light, which makes up a fraction of the sun’s output.    More Read