Effects of laundering and light-exposure on the antimicrobial activity of cotton fabrics finished with metal salts

摘要

The effects of laundering and light-exposure on the antimicrobial activities of cotton fabrics (4 samples) finished with metal salts such as copper or zinc against Staphylococcus aureus IFO 3060, Klebsiella pneumoniae IFO 13277 and Trichophyton mentagrophytes IFO 5466 were investigated and compared with those on the activities of commercially available antibacterial-deodorant fabrics. Antimicrobial activities of the test fabrics against these test strains were stronger than those of the commercialfabrics tested, except for test sample no.3, a plain cotton fabric with a Zn~(2+) absorption dose of 1.07mg/g fabric, against K. pneumoniae. Even after 30 laundry cycles and 10 days of light-exposure, the antimicrobial activities of the test fabrics finished with metal salts were still stronger than the similarly tested commercial ones, except for sample no. 3 against K. pneumoniae. These results suggest that the test fabrics finished with metal salts (with the exception of sample no.3) could be valuable to the development of the field of antimicrobial fabrics, be used for various practical items such as bathroom mats, towels and socks, and could contribute considerably to the greater hygiene of all textiles in general.