Modern science and technology have coupled to give the world everything from surgery-performing robots to artificial hearts and cloned animals. “Why not a self-cleaning towel,” asked innovators in the bed and bath department of WestPoint Stevens.

The company teamed up with Microban Products Company to create the Grand Patrician Ultra Touch — a towel treated with Triclosan, an antibacterial chemical that keeps the product safe from common towel maladies such as mold and mildew. The towels, $20 each, basically eat the microbes responsible for making towels stink.

The larger Bed, Bath & Beyond locations are already selling these miracle towels, said Ruth Johnson, the company’s retail manager.

However, they have not reached the DeKalb branch.

If the towels are a big hit at the larger locations, the DeKalb store will most likely start putting them on the shelves.

“I would not pay that price for any towel,” said Sycamore resident and Bed, Bath & Beyond patron Marnie King. She added, “Don’t you wash your towel after you use it anyway'”

However, not everyone thought the product was overpriced.

“That sounds pretty neat, actually,” said Barney Albreicht, also of Sycamore.

“I never really noticed my towel’s smell, though, but maybe my wife has a different opinion,” he said.

Amidst all the hype, there are a few unsettling catches.

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued warnings of the dangers of Triclosan — the main ingredient responsible for the fresh smell of the Ultra Touch.

Classified as a pesticide, Triclosan holds risks for both the environment and human health. When Triclosan and the chlorine in tap water combine, they form chloroform.

However, that is not stopping the engineers behind this new wave of antimicrobial inventions. Italcementi developed a self-cleaning concrete and Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company recently has introduced a line of self-cleaning windows.

The NIU chemistry department is no exception to this trend. In fact, research and development of antimicrobial surfaces has been underway at NIU for more than 20 years, according to Chhiu-Tsu Lin, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Lin and his colleagues work daily on developing surfaces in which microbes cannot attach themselves or can be easily removed.

This is an especially important interest of hospitals. They are always on the lookout for the most sterile surfaces for floors and counters.

As for the risks of using carcinogens in producing such materials, Lin said, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are making sure there are strict regulations in regards to such risks.

Self-cleaning products are on the rise as microbiologists and bio-technicians discover more ways to use antibacterial agents to make life easier for consumers. As for the risks posed by using these chemicals, only time will tell if the pros will outweigh the cons.