The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of protecting\nmedical workers and the general public through the correct equipment when it\ncomes to dealing with infectious diseases. Antimicrobial fabrics and garments\nplay a crucial role in preventing the transmission of bacteria and infections\nin healthcare environments among various others, by serving as the first line\nof defence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are Antimicrobial Fabrics?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Antimicrobial fabrics destroy or\ninhibit the growth of microorganisms, and especially pathogenic microorganisms\nsuch as bacteria and fungi. They work by preventing the microorganisms from\nattaching to the fabric surface normally through impregnating the fabric\u2019s surface\nwith biocide chemical treatments such as biogenic silver nano particles.\nAntimicrobial textiles can be produced using various types\nof fibres such as polyester, polyester-vinyl composites, vinyl, and acrylic\nfabrics. This means that applying an antimicrobial treatment to an existing\nproduct or selected fabric type can be done so easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The effectiveness of an\nantimicrobial fabric is measured not only by its capacity to prevent the\npropagation of microorganisms, but also its role in helping to prolong the life\nof a textile and therefore lowering the rate of replacement. For example,\nantimicrobial fabrics are often used for hospital blankets and bedding which\nregularly come into contact with sweat and other bodily fluids which serve as\ncontaminants. Such contamination acts as a breeding ground for bacteria and mould\nwhich can quickly destroy the integrity of the fabric. However, through the use\nof an antimicrobial coating, coupled with other specialised textile coatings\nsuch as stain, odour resistance, and waterproofing; the textile can be used for\nmuch longer requiring a lower rate of replacement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How can you ensure the effectiveness\nof an Antimicrobial fabric?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n International organizations such as\nthe American Association of Textile Chemists and Colourists (AATCC), the\nAmerican Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM);, the International\nOrganization for Standardization (ISO) and Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) have\ndeveloped standardised tests to evaluate the performance of a given\nantimicrobial fabric. Common test methods used to assess antibacterial fabric\ninclude the ISO 20743 (JIS L 1902) or the ISO 22196 (JIS Z 2801).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Antimicrobial textiles for use\noutdoors with exposure to the elements, where antifungal protection is crucial,\nshould be tested using the AATCC Method 30, Part III or the ASTM G21. \nOther methods, such as the MIL-STD-810G, Method 508.6 Annex B are also used to\nassess antifungal fabric when required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What can Antimicrobial Fabrics be used for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Antimicrobial coated fabrics can be used in a variety of\nways to suit the specific desired functionality of a textile or garment.\nConventionally, antibacterial textiles have been used in hospitals and\nhealthcare environments for medical scrubs, surgical masks, laboratory coats, hospital\nbedding, hospital curtains and mattresses as well as for wound dressing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, they are increasingly used in other types of textile\nproducts given the benefits of prolonging product life as well as the health\nbenefits to the wearer. Antimicrobial fabrics are therefore also used for\nsportwear apparel, military fabrics, professional and school uniforms. In\npublic places they can be used for architectural fabrics, awnings, canopies and\ncarpets while in the home they can be used for producing towels, bedding,\nupholstery and bedding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Amid the current pandemic, a global consciousness has\nemerged that is placing greater emphasis on the need for good hygiene practices\nand the role as well as responsibility of the individual in preventing the\nspread of infectious diseases. Within the new global reality that is demanding\nextra vigilance when it comes to public health, antimicrobial fabrics and\ngarments can play a key role in protecting the public and healthcare workers in\nhospitals, nursing homes, schools and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of protecting medical workers and the general public through the correct equipment when it comes to dealing with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20278,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20276"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20277,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20276\/revisions\/20277"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shinta.co.id\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}