A Raleigh-based company has recently created an innovative way to protect kids from everyday messes and germs — antibacterial children’s clothes.

Founded in 2012 by N.C. State alumni Angela Hollen and Zach Schabot, Spitter Spatter is a company whose products are stain, odor and germ resistant.  

Spitter Spatter products have “been proven effective for a broad range of bacteria, fungi, algae and yeasts including, but not limited to, Strep, Staph, swine flu, bird flu, MRSA, SARS, HIV, E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria,” according to Hollen, who is also the CEO of Spitter Spatter.  

The company employs a process which uses a water-based hyper-green polymer to “transform ordinary fibers into enhanced performance fabrics with built-in capabilities providing stain resistance, antibacterial and odor control that lasts the life of the product – wash after wash,” Hollen said in an email interview.

The bond forms between the fabric, whether it is natural or synthetic, and the active ingredient is permanent and therefore cannot wash or wear off, Hollen said.

The active ingredient is EPA-certified, OEKO-TEX-approved and “sustainable, biodegradable and kind to the skin,” according to Hollen. 

Spitter Spatter’s current “classic collection” features a wide variety of infant and toddler clothing items, such as T-shirts, dresses, body suits and jackets.

The products are available in a range of colors, including yellow, pink, blue, purple and gray. The clothes are currently available for purchase online at www.spitterspatter.com. 

Spitter Spatter is developing expansion plans which involve selling their products in retailers, like children’s boutiques, and adding new collections to the line. 

Hollen revealed that possible new products include accessories like blankets as well as pieces with designs on them. 

“We’re looking to work with local artists to design fun graphics to put on our pieces,” Hollen said. 

Schabot is also excited about expansion possibilities. 

“I think it’s nice because at this point we’re not designing things that are trendy,” Schabot said. “Our classic products have longevity. The expansion plans are endless and we have a lot of ideas.” 

The inspiration behind the company began with Schabot’s experiences as a father. 

Schabot said when his children were infants, they went through two to four outfits a day from drooling or spitting up. His kids would come home from daycare with skin rashes from the irritation. 

“I would make jokes about wishing for kids clothes that wouldn’t get wet and dirty,” Schabot said.

After changing countless outfits and bibs, Schabot said he thought to himself, “there has got to be a better way to do this.” 

“The whole thing started off as a joke, but it was a serious inconvenience for us as parents and also for our children.”

Schabot searched for a company that could produce a product that could stand up to everyday wear and tear of kids clothes to no avail, until he met Hollen at a textile competition, explained Hollen. 

Using Schabot’s business idea and experience in marketing and Hollen’s textile expertise, the two worked together to create Spitter Spatter. 

“I think for me coming up with a solution that any parent could use is really a neat thing. I love the idea of being able to come up with an idea and seeing an idea come to life,” Schabot said. 

In regards to the name, Hollen said, “we wanted a name that conveyed the problem and summarized everything we were trying to create. Kids are messy and they spatter things everywhere. Spitter Spatter just seemed to fit perfectly.”