What is FreshProtek?

The best way to walk through a mall is to be guided by your nose.

The baby shop smells of talcum powder. The belt shop beckons shoppers with scents leather and saddle soap. The candle store lures customers in with the scent of the week – sweet berry, pungent pine or clean linen.

Hungry shoppers at the food court use their sense of smell to decide between the warm bread of the sub shop, the spicy flavor of pepperoni pizza, the rich meaty lure of hamburgers or the warm, sweet enticement of cinnamon rolls dripping with warm sugar.

Moving through a department store means being funneled through the cosmetic department where perfume bottles stand ready to be sampled, each scent to become individualized on skin.

Stepping outside the mall sometimes comes with a very different experience. Another shopper passes by, smelling of cigarette smoke. A half-eaten ice cream cone sours on the pavement. A passing diesel truck leaves behind a cloud of fumes. A special funk has started brewing from that still-wet towel left in the car after last weekend’s beach trip. Ick.

Smell is one of our most important senses. It takes you to a place; it evokes memories – both good and bad. Determining how odors are created and finding ways to control odors is one expertise of Anovotek®, a science and technology business in Barnwell, S.C. “Anovotek” literally means “new technology” in Latin.

Anovotek® staff have extensive expertise with odor control products and their application to textiles and soft goods.

There are five mechanisms of odor control used by Anovotek® - prevention, absorption, destruction, reduction and masking.

• Prevention: By-products from bacteria growth are a major source of odor. Anovotek® uses technology and materials to reduce bacteria growth including use of EPA-registered antimicrobials selected for the specific end use of the product.
• Absorption: Certain materials absorb odors. Odor absorbers can be integrated into textiles and other materials. Some odor absorbers can be cleaned of odors, or regenerated, increasing their effectiveness when integrating into reusable products such as textiles.
• Destruction: There are products which can be integrated into textiles that will destroy odors. Anovotek® uses innovative odor destroying technologies.
• Reduction: Odors are volatile compounds. By reducing the volatility, or vapor pressure, of common odor-causing molecules, odors can be reduced.
• Masking: Anovotek also has extensive expertise in integrating fragrances into textiles and other products. Fragrances can also be microencapsulated, then applied to products, extending the useful life of the fragrance as the microcapsules slowly release the fragrance.

Odor, smell and freshness can be controlled or enhanced by using a variety of these techniques. Remember that wet, souring beach towel? That smell is mostly cause by bacteria growth in the wet towel. What if the bacteria and mildew on it could be reduced, destroyed or prevented? What if a “fresh” scent could be applied to keep it smelling fresher, longer? The result is a much more pleasant experience when using that towel.

Since odors can be generated in a variety of ways, Anovotek® uses a variety of approaches to control them. Anovotek® has integrated these approaches into a proprietary blend formulated to control odors at their micro-sources and enhance an extended sense of freshness.

FreshProtek™ is a unique formulation of carefully selected ingredients which control odor and enhance freshness in textile and apparel products.

FreshProtek™ brings exceptional performance to products.

FreshProtek™ protects the freshness of products. By controlling odor and enhancing freshness, FreshProtek™ extends the wear-life of those products between laundering.

That enduring freshness means less time spent laundering which, in turn, frees up time to relax. Less laundry also reduces the household cost of water, detergents, and electricity or gas for washers and dryers.

Sustainability is important as the Earth’s resources are being consumed at an accelerated rate.  Consumer laundering (washing and drying) has a significant impact on the environment from use of clean water, greenhouse gas emissions and detergents used during laundering. Reducing the frequency of laundering is a great way for consumers to think globally and act locally.

It starts with FreshProtek™.

FreshProtek™ products by Anovotek® include towels, and other home products, garments, socks and other apparel, hunting and fishing products and accessories, camping/hiking outdoor sports and leisure products, sports equipment and accessories (football, soccer, basketball, tennis, etc.), military/police/tactical products, products for indoor pets, recreational vehicle products and accessories as well as other consumer products.