The use of antimicrobial textiles

Antimicrobial products have long been used in healthcare environments – from curtain rails, wall claddingand furniture – to medical products such as breathing devices and communication systems.

The benefits of cleaner, more hygienic products are obvious in a healthcare environment, particularly due to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA, VRE and CRE.

Millions of antimicrobial products are in use across the globe in healthcare environments such as hospitals, GP surgeries and dental practices. Whilst traditional materials such as plastics or paints have long been treated with antimicrobials, a more recent development is the use of antimicrobial textiles.

How do textiles become antimicrobial?

Textiles – produced from man-made or natural fibres – can be made antimicrobial in a variety of ways. Additives can be introduced to the fibre during spinning or extrusion, combined with dyes or pigments or applied as a finishing process. The chosen method is determined by a variety of factors including final use of the fabric, the capability of the manufacturer and of course budget.

What’s the use?

Antimicrobial textiles provide the opportunity for a whole host of product types and industries. In the healthcare industry, there are a variety of textiles that would benefit from the technology, including doctors coats, bed linen and fabric covered chairs to name but a few.

Outside of the healthcare industry, the applications for textiles are endless. Popular examples include sports clothing and footwear, but solutions extend to other applications such as pet bedding, furniture, bath linen and so on.

The benefit of antimicrobial textiles is that they provide lasting, continual protection against potentially harmful microbes (those that may make you ill or that cause stains or bad odours) – wash after wash.

Testing the efficacy of antimicrobial textiles

To test the efficacy of antimicrobial textiles, a specific test method such as ASTM E2149 is used. Whilst it is important to test so antimicrobial properties can be substantiated, it is even more important to use an appropriate method, otherwise an unreliable result may be achieved. Whilst laboratory based testing provides reliable data, it is only indicative of how antimicrobial products may perform in the real world.

Alongside laboratory testing, wherever possible, BioCote conduct real-life studies to see how partner products fare in the real world, where they are going to be used. By not solely relying on laboratory tests to prove efficacy, use in ‘real-life’ tests demonstrates reliability within a practical environment.

A recent study found that only superior antimicrobial textiles were effective against microbes when amore realistic test was used – showing the importance of not only relying on testing within the laboratory.

To find out more about our antimicrobial solutions for textiles and fabrics, please call our technical experts on +44 (0) 2477 712 489 or visit our information page.

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