New Delhi: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have found a unique solution to deal with mosquito bites effectively and affordably. They have developed a detergent that could help repel mosquitoes, thereby protecting people from mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya.The detergent has been created by a team led by Prof. Javed Nabibaksh Sheikh of the Department of Textiles and Fibre Engineering. It is available in both liquid and powder form. “Like normal detergent, it cleans clothes but also leaves behind a protective layer that repels mosquitoes,” he said.Prof. Sheikh claimed their goal was to provide an affordable, widely available product to protect families from mosquito bites. According to him, the special detergent will also help tackle the global problem of mosquito-borne diseases, which are increasing every year, and millions fall prey to them.“Existing repellents like coils, creams or electric devices are often expensive or inaccessible, especially for low- and middle-income groups. Our detergent is affordable and something every household already uses,” said the scientist.He said his team, including researchers and M.Tech students, took three years on the project, as experiments are time-consuming. “We focused on making the detergent both effective and safe. The project is now in the technology transfer stage, and the product is expected to reach the market within a few months,” he said.