British and Chinese scientists have created a self-cleaning, waterproof paint. The paint is believed to eliminate the need of washing clothes, car or windows ever again as they will remain clean in future.

The researchers from University College London, Imperial College London, and Dalian University of Technology in China said all that is needed is to apply the coating to steel, clothes or paper and mix with adhesives. It is very effective and maintains its self-cleaning properties even when scrapped or scratched with a knife.

Most self-cleaning surfaces are water-repellant and become less effective after damage or exposed to oil. A much more resilient surface is created by this new coating, making it impervious to everyday wear and tear. The scientists have claimed that the coating would be effectively used for numerous real-world applications, like cars, clothing, windows, etc.

Findings of the study have been published in the academic journal Science. The first author of the study, Yao Lu, said, "Being waterproof allows materials to self-clean as water forms marble-shaped droplets that roll over the surface, acting like miniature vacuum cleaners picking up dirt, viruses and bacteria along the way".

He said this is only possible when surface is rough and waxy. This is the reason, according to him, they decided to create these conditions on hard and soft surfaces by designing their own paint and mixing it with different adhesives to allow the surface to deal with damage.

The paint is made from coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which help in keeping several materials clean, even if damages have been caused to their surfaces or if they have been immersed in oil.

The paint can be applied in several ways to make materials self-cleaning and totally waterproof. A syringe was used by the researchers to coat a paper, whereas cotton wool was dip-coated.