Benefits in-grained: the anti-bacterial perks of wood goods
Cleanliness is the forefront of most people’s minds at the moment. In the current state of the world, ensuring that the products you use on a daily basis are safe is vital. We at Tahoe Timber wanted to take a moment to acknowledge some of the benefits of wood products over alternatives in the marketplace.
The benefits of wood products in reference to acoustic properties and thermal conductivity are widely known among consumers. But fresh research is emerging, pointing to findings that wood had more anti-bacterial properties than we may have realized.
A Molecule Level
Countless materials contain what are known as voltaic organic elements or VOCs. VOCs are compounds which release gases or vapors. Typically, VOCs are released from the burning or eroding of materials that store VOCs. Wood is no different.
However, thanks to recent studies, VOCs that originated from wood have been found to hold some anti-bacterial properties, including the scent of wood. This odor has been studied and has been found to have negative effects on bacteria but is harmless to humans.
Extracting the Benefits
Wood extracts have been found to be hugely beneficial to the anti-bacterial causes, including studies pointing to findings that wood is a more sanitary base than other building materials in hospital settings. This is largely true because wood drys so quickly. Most bacteria will struggle to live on a dry surface.
Speaking specifically on wood extracts, these pure oils have been found to be a very effective anti-bacterial agent. This is due to the lignin — which can be described as an organic polymer located in the cell walls of many plants, giving them a rigid or “woody” feel. The lignin is believed to be on of the sources of this anti-bacterial effect, but only one. Tiina Vainio-Kaila, a research scientist, believes that there isn’t a single factoring regarding woods anti-bacterial properties, rather than the natural product is a sum of its whole.
More research is currently being conducted to pinpoint the properties that give wood these benefits, but until this research has concluded, the exact answer isn’t clear. Regardless, wood has proven itself to be an effective anti-bacterial and natural offering in a sea of plastics.
Our Call to Action
This is just one of the reasons we at Tahoe Timber choose to work with wood. On top of seeking to reduce our over-reliance on plastics, wood offers unique natural benefits not found in other products on the market. This is one of the driving forces that lead to the creation of Tahoe Timber. To offer an alternative on the market place while helping to educate people on the benefits of wood goods. Sounds like a win-win to us. Check out some of our naturally anti-bacterial products below.
