Abstract
Natural organic fibers such as cotton, linen, and wool are readily attacked by microorganisms. Microbial growth on a textile fabric causes loss of strength and elongation, discoloration, and changes in appearance. The antibacterial finishing agents extracted from nettle plant leaf have been used to impart finish to the cotton fabric by using the Pad-Dry-Cure application method. The antibacterial activity of the finish was assessed quantitatively using the AATCC 100:2004 test method, and the antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria was measured. There was a 100 to 99.75 percent reduction in the count of test bacteria. Physical properties of treated and untreated cotton fabrics such as absorbency, fabric stiffness, air permeability, and strength were analyzed. To evaluate the laundering effect of stinging nettle leaf finished fabric, samples were subjected to laundry with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 washing cycles using standard AATCC test method 61, and bacterial count of treated samples was tested. The results showed gradual decrease in antibacterial property, with a 100 to 44% reduction in the bacterial count for Staphylococcus aureus and a 100 to 30% reduction in the bacterial count for Escherichia coli. The results of this investigation suggested that nettle leaf, a low-cost abundant plant in Ethiopia, can be used for antibacterial activity in woven cotton fabric.
Highlights
Certain textile material treatments are applied to improve the look and qualities of textile goods. ese treatments are called finishes
A hundred percent of scoured cotton fabric was used in this study to ensure complete wetting and uniform absorbency of the solution during padding
Scouring treatment was applied to the woven cotton fabric to remove foreign material before imparting antibacterial finish
Summary
Certain textile material treatments are applied to improve the look and qualities of textile goods. ese treatments are called finishes. Certain textile material treatments are applied to improve the look and qualities of textile goods. A finish is a treatment given to a piece of fabric to change appearance, handling/touch, or performance. E purpose is to make the fabric more suitable for its end use. E finishes may be basic or functional. Called aesthetic finishes, are applied to almost all the fabrics to improve their appearance, feel, and body. Functional finishes are applied to improve the performance of fabric for some specific purpose, for example, fireproof, waterproof, bulletproof, crease-resistant, and antimicrobial finishes [1]. Either pathogenic or not, are normally found on human skin, nasal cavities, and other areas, such as the genital area [2, 3].
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