Brief information on Microban Technology:

A variety of products from socks to concrete now use the recently developed Microban process in the fight against germs. In the Microban process, antimicrobial additives are encapsulated in synthetic fiber or plastic pellets. The pellets are combined with a product's base polymer during the manufacturing process, giving the final product intrinsic antimicrobial properties.
The additives are developed by different processes according to the type of material for which they are intended (e.g., fabric, molded plastic, etc.) The Microban additives retain their antimicrobial properties for the life of the product into which they are incorporated. After conducting several tests these additives have been found to be noncarcinogenic and nonallergenic.
Microban is introduced during the base polymer's amorphous phase, it is free to migrate within the polymer. So when the product is scraped, scratched, or washed, new Microban molecules are released at the surface, providing fresh germ-killing power. Microban kills only the tiniest microorganisms, so while the antimicrobial additive is effective on bacteria and fungi, it is harmless to higher life forms.