New from Ludovica Mascheroni, a closet that can sanitise shoes and clothes in 5 minutes
‘The need to sanitise clothes after being in a public space will be [more and more] necessary,’ says designer and company founder Fabio Mascheroni
How did you come up with the idea for the Ozone Cabinet? “It happened during a dinner party four years ago, when I met an engineer who was developing a new system for ozone sanitisation in emergency rooms. We started thinking about how to integrate this system into our walk-in closets, wardrobes and trunks.
“We started working together to understand how to create doors that can be sealed – we used a special gasket and an electronic lock that prevents the ozone from spilling out. The engineer followed the technical part but we also had to think about how to make this system good-looking. In 2017, we launched our walk-in closet with this system integrated.”
How are they different from other ozone cabinets? “Other products on the market may have a great function but they are not aesthetically pleasing. We can custom make the product [prices start at €4,900/HK$43,360], so for boutiques, we can provide a cabinet that merges with their brand.”
How does it work?“The ozone is created by an electrical shock emitted from the top of the cabinet. It remains in the cabinet and starts a catalysation process that converts it into oxygen. The shortest cycle that allows the ozone to be active is five minutes, and the cycle goes up to 50 minutes.
“One of our clients has tested it on different yarns and they found there is no harm even after 55 minutes. But for some delicate yarns, like cotton or silk, a short cycle is enough; for others like cashmere, we suggest 10 minutes. The thing to remember is that during these cycles half of the time is taken up by the catalysation process that converts the ozone into oxygen.”