Lorna Jane rebrands after backlash over 'anti-virus' activewear

The activewear brand came under fire after claiming its clothing could kill infectious disease particles. Photo / Supplied

Australian activewear company Lorna Jane has been criticised after it made a number of claims on its website about its clothes being able to kill infectious disease particles.

Lorna Jane claimed its clothes had been sprayed with an exclusive, light, permanent mist called LJ Shield, which "breaks through the membrane shell of any toxic diseases, not only killing that microbe but preventing it from multiplying into any more".

The company said LJ Shield technology was a "chemical-free shield that prevents and protects against odour-causing bacteria, mould and infectious disease.

"It is applied as a water-based, non-toxic mist and permanently adheres to our garments.

"Any bacteria that comes into contact with the fabric is terminated when it comes in touch with the LJ Shield particles."

The claims have been criticised by the President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, who called it "wishful thinking", saying activewear will not keep you safe from Covid-19.

A spokesman told news.com.au that Lorna Jane began developing new practices two years ago to "solve the issues around germs/contamination" for their customers.

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Just when you thought your favourite leggings couldn't get any better, we added phone pockets 😏 You're welcome.​​ Don’t panic shop the Amy Tight for $75 for a limited time only 💁‍♀️

A post shared by LORNA JANE ACTIVEWEAR (@lornajaneactive) on Jun 6, 2020 at 7:16pm PDT

"In a sense, you could be touching somebody's armpit or groin and with our garments worn so close to the body we knew we had to do something better."

The company said the technology, which comes from Taiwanese company Fuse Biotech, has also been used in gyms in the US to spray on hard surfaces. The company said they weren't trying to claim the clothing was a cure for Covid-19.

"We are not saying LJ Shield will stop you coming into contact with bacteria we are saying LJ Shield is an added protection like hand sanitiser but for the clothes you wear," the spokesman told news.com.au.

They said the technology is in final stages of being granted FDA approval and is undergoing quality testing by local authorities.

"With everything that is transpiring with Covid we deemed it necessary to speed up the release of this technology to our customers, knowing it has already been tested and proven globally and continue to work on getting it tested locally also."