Durable Wash-Resistant Antimicrobial Treatment of Knitted Fabrics

Abstract Antimicrobial finishing is increasingly used in textile products to increase their functionality. Antimicrobial properties became extremely important during the COVID-19 situation. The main problems faced by antimicrobial finishing are nontoxicity and durability (wash-resistance) of antibacterial activity. Also, it is important to determine whether the antimicrobial finishing changes comfort properties, such as air permeability. This paper deals with the durability of antimicrobial treatment, that is, resistance to washing, and effect on the structural changes that may have influence on the comfort properties, such as permeability to air. Knits of various raw compositions were antimicrobial-treated with the new commercial antimicrobial product, Si Bactericidal (Smart Inovation, Portugal). After the antimicrobial treatment, knitted specimens were washed 50 times and changes in their structural parameters, air permeability, and antimicrobial activity were measured. It was found that the mentioned antimicrobial treatment gives very good antimicrobial activity to the treated fabric and is wash-resistant and long-lasting. Also, it does not change dimensions and permeability to air of the treated fabrics with some exceptions of cotton-based knitted structures.