Antibacterial and Physical Properties of Knitted Cotton Fabrics Treated with Antibacterial Finishes

Abstract

The effects of commercial antibacterial finishing agent application on the physical properties of cotton fabrics, including laundering durability, were investigated. Applications were performed by the pad-dry-cure method. All fabric samples were washed 40 times. The physical properties (i.e., fabric weight, pilling, bursting strength, air permeability, and color efficiency) and antibacterial activity of the treated and untreated fabrics were tested before washing and after every 10 laundering cycles. It was found that pilling, air permeability, and bursting strength of the fabrics were affected significantly, but color efficiency was not affected by the antibacterial treatments. Good antibacterial activity could be achieved even after 40 launderings with many different antibacterial agents. However, the antibacterial activity of the samples treated with different agents varied.