In consumer and sporting apparel, antimicrobial and antifungal finishes can preserve fabric freshness, reduce microbially generated odor and discoloration, and prevent fouling during storage or transport. Antimicrobial finishes can also be part of a strategy to help interdict pathogen transfer for health care providers and facilities. We use an aqueous suspension of bound peroxide (Stay Fresh™) applied in normal textile finishing operations to generate an environmentally friendly antimicrobial chemistry. We describe testing on as-produced and laundered fabrics that shows durable antimicrobial efficacy against gram+ and gram- bacteria (selected from skin and wound-associated species), and show prevention of fouling by fungal organisms. Analytical work includes electron microscopy techniques to show presence and distribution of treatment, as well as chemical titration for peroxide content after laundering.
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