How about adding a germ-free tag to every nook and cranny of your house without going through the hassle of cleaning the walls and floors with disinfectants every day? Well, you can now attempt to do just that by installing anti-bacterial tiles launched by different brands recently.

Interior design experts believe that these tiles are just the thing for health-conscious individuals who are ready to spend a little extra to ensure a hygienic environment in their house — especially in the kitchens and bathrooms that are hotbeds of bacteria and fungal growth.

“Nowadays consumers are very conscious of health and hygiene. Gone are the days when people cleaned their rooms with disinfectants like phenyl and thought they had successfully killed all the germs. What my clients want now is a one shot solution to both health and aesthetics,” says Santanu Banerjee of Basic Patterns, a Calcutta-based interior design firm.

Different brands of anti-bacterial tiles fulfil both these needs. “Our anti-bacterial tiles come in more than 70 designs and shades that are so niche specific that they can be put on bedroom walls or in kids’ rooms, as well as, of course, in bathrooms and kitchens,” says Prabir Chatterjee, territory manager, Somany Tiles.

What makes these tiles superior to others, say manufacturers, is the special technology used to make them. “We have introduced a path-breaking silver nano technology to make the ‘glaze’ that our tiles are treated with,” says Vijay Aggarwal, managing director, Prism Cement Limited, whose unit, H&R Johnson, makes “germ-free” tiles. “A special silver based compound is introduced in the glaze that not only kills any bacteria or fungi present, but also inhibits any further growth of germs,” claims Aggarwal.

Silver has, of course, been used for the treatment of medical ailments for over 100 years owing to its natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. “Silver nano ions are known to sterilise over 650 types of bacteria. When in contact with bacteria and fungus, they adversely affect their cellular metabolism, suppressing respiration, basal metabolism as well as transport of the microbial cell membrane, thus successfully killing and inhibiting microbes that cause infection or odour,” affirms pathologist Dr Papia Mazumdar.

But some argue that “germ-free” tiles are no match for marble. Adarsh Kajaria, owner of city based realtors, Ganpati Projects Pvt. Ltd, prefers marble and granite to any sort of tiles for their timeless appeal and cooling properties. “Marble has a unique cooling effect that helps to keep the rooms cool in the height of summer in a tropical country like ours,” says Kajaria. “And since in most cases it is stain resistant as well, it can protect the floors for decades,” he adds. Pathologist Mazumdar adds that marble has no microscopic pores because of its denseness. Hence, allergy causing irritants that proliferate on fabrics and wood cannot survive on marble. “So what’s so new about germ-free tiles,” asks Kajaria. “We already had that solution in marble.”

But marble has its downsides, points out Banerjee. “We never recommend marble for bathrooms and kitchens as they do not have anti-skid properties like anti-bacterial tiles. Slip resistance is a must for bathroom and kitchen tiles, as these areas of the household tend to get wet.”

If you want to go germ free, another option is specially treated ceramic tiles. “We do use ceramic tiles that can be treated with anti-bacterial grouts, a permanent non-stick, invisible protective coating, that chemically bonds with the tiles. This protective coating reduces the build-up of mould and harmful bacteria and also prevents staining and scratching,” he adds.

Some worry that germ-free tiles may absorb dirt like normal tiles, making the claim of being germ free a hollow one. “If the new tiles absorb dirt, they will be of no use,” says Kajaria.

But most manufacturers of germ-free tiles assert that their tiles are not just anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, they are water repellent, dust repellent and even acid/alkali resistant. “These anti-bacterial tiles have a laminated coating of silica on them. So dirt and water particles cannot stick to them,” says Chatterjee. “This makes them practically zero-maintenance,” he adds.

In fact, where normal ceramic tiles have a water absorption rate of 3-4 per cent, germ free tiles absorb less than .03 per cent of water because of their minimal porosity. “This makes the bonding between the cement of the walls and the tiles stronger, ensuring durability of the walls, especially in damp and humid climates and in places where there is water seepage,” adds Chatterjee.

The anti-bacterial tiles will also not burn a big hole in your pocket. The price range varies between Rs 50 and Rs 250 per square feet, depending on the design, colour, density of pigments and size of the tiles. “Generally speaking, germ-free tiles are Rs 2 to Rs 2.50 more than other vitrified tiles,” says Dinesh Rao, a city-based tiles dealer.

So if you want to keep your bathrooms and kitchen spotless and bacteria free, you could consider getting them covered with these new age tiles.