Scientists from the department of Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton have created a device called Starstream that is capable of transforming cold water into an industrial-strength cleaning solution. The only elements added to the water are tiny air bubbles and ultrasonic waves. These additions allow the water to penetrate deep into every crevice of almost any surface. Researchers believe just six seconds of washing with Starstream is equivalent to 20 seconds of washing vigorously with soap and water.

The device’s creators, Professor Tim Leighton and Dr. Peter Birkin, hope this technology will help combat antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance by removing chemical agents from many sanitization processes used in the healthcare industry. The grand vision is to find a way to incorporate the technology into the hand-washing routines of every person on Earth. This would greatly reduce the ability of microbes to enter the body via contaminated hands.

Click here to read more about this technology from the newsroom at the University of Southampton.