Antibacterial textiles have appeared on the consumer market in the form of socks, underwear, towels, comforters, and other sportswear. They were initially used in hospitals for hygiene reasons and to limit cross-infections.

Why antibacterial textiles?

The multiplication of microorganisms on textiles can cause textile deterioration, for example through the formation of permanent stains by microscopic fungi or the production of unpleasant odors caused by the growth of skin bacteria on underwear.

In healthcare settings, while infection spread through hands, water, or contaminated food is well controlled by hygiene practices, infection spread through textile materials can be controlled by using antimicrobial textiles, which inhibit the growth or kill pathogens upon contact before they are transferred to another material or person.

TTS offers its clients the ISO 20743 method to determine the antibacterial activity of all antibacterial textile products, regardless of the type of antibacterial agent used (e.g., biological, inorganic, natural, or synthetic).

How to test the antibacterial activity of textiles?

To determine the antibacterial activity of a textile, standardized methods such as the one performed at the TTS laboratory are used: ISO 20743 Textiles – Determination of antibacterial activity of finished antibacterial products.

This method measures the amount of bacteria after 24 hours in a standardized culture medium in the presence of the active textile and compares it to the amount obtained in the presence of a control textile without antibacterial agent.