Have you ever thought why your body and clothes smell bad at the end of the day? This is more relevant for humid and sweaty situations, which provide an ideal ground for certain Micro-organisms to develop, causing bad odour and if not handled properly, can lead to various skin infections as well.
It is due to this basic principle, that we bathe and wash our clothes daily. But what if our clothing can be treated to help in fighting such harmful bacteria, and provide better skin and clothing hygiene. The Sportswear industry has set a good lead by offering garments with Anti Microbial treatments, which are able to fight 99.9% of such harmful Micro-organisms, and offer a very good solution to the wearer.
Lets try to understand this simple but important science, to become wiser in choosing our clothing.
What are microbes?
Microbes are generally referred to as microorganisms. They are a part of our everyday lives. It’s a minuscule unicellular organism that exists in the environment. It is invisible to the naked eye. We come in contact with them on a day-to-day basis.
There are four types of microbes; bacteria, algae, viruses & fungi. In relation to garments, we will focus on Bacteria, as they result in bad odour, stain in clothes and can lead to various skin infections.
Where do these microbes exist?
Microbes are everywhere. In the air we breathe, in the soil of the earth, on the surface of our skin, they also exist in the clothes we wear.
What promotes the growth of bacteria?
Warmth, moisture and oxygen provide the breeding ground for bacteria. Like an individual needs food to grow, in a similar way, the bacterium needs these three elements to thrive. So, for anyone who exercises, when the sweat comes in contact with the heat and clothes in the body it provides an ideal environment for bacteria to grow and form colonies.
Surfaces, of any kind, including textiles and skin surface, is a birthplace for microbes like bacteria that is why it’s imperative to disinfect these areas to prevent grime, dirt and preventing bacteria from growing.
For these very reasons it is imperative to have an anti-microbial finish in your garments especially if it’s sportswear.
What are the negative impacts of Microorganisms on our clothes ?
The development of these bacteria causes the foul-smelling odour resulting in stain, mold development and deterioration of fabrics.
Further, as per a report by Minnesota Department of Health Skin infections account for up to 10% of time-loss injuries in some sports and can cause serious illness. Skin infections can be spread from one athlete to another. The 3 most common skin infections caused due to Microorganisms are Staphylococcus aureus “Staph”, Herpes and Tinea “Ringworm”.
What is anti-microbial?
Anti-microbials control, destroy and suppress the growth of microbes. Anti-microbial finish, therefore, helps in preventing body odour, stains and garment deterioration.
Commonly used Anti Microbial agents like Graphene(HexaRel), Silver Nano Particles(Recron Feel Fresh, Resil N9, etc) fight the various Microorganisms, and keep the fabrics fresh. Fabrics are available with Anti Microbial treatment at the yarn level, and also at the finish level which can last upto 50 washes. These are effective in killing upto 99% of the microbes as per AATCC 100-2019 test standards.
How anti-microbial finish in a garment helps prevent the negative impacts ?
Good hygiene can have a profound impact on our well-being and overall quality of life. When it comes to sportswear, the sportsperson is putting themselves in conditions such as sweat and heat leading to moisture in the garments. At the same time, it is constantly coming in contact with dirt and grime. Anti-microbial finish in garments acts as a safeguard in preventing these negative impacts.
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We at Positex have been striving to get you the best in Fabrics & Fashion, since our inception in 2005, as Pashupati Overseas LLP. Specialising in the field of Fabrics for Sportswear, Jackets and Outdoor wear we have been dealing with a variety of Functional Fabrics. Keeping the needs of each sporting activity, we have a wide range of woven and knitted fabrics to choose from. This enables the sportswear brands, to work closely with us, to decide the right type of fabric for the kind of garment they are designing.
To address the need of Anti Microbial treatment, we are providing fabrics in below 3 options :
- HexaRel – This Graphene enabled finish has a sword like structure which kills the microbes. Being a carbon based finish, it keeps the fabric handfeel soft. Also along with Anti Microbial it has other useful benefits like Anti Viral, Wicking, Anti Static, UPF, QMax, etc.
- Resil N9 Silver finish – this Silver Nano Particles based finish is added to the fabric at the dyeing stage, and is a commonly used Anti Microbial Finish.
- Recron FeelFresh – this is a yarn level Silver Nano based treatment, which provides life long Anti Microbial properties. .
We are already providing some Core fabrics with these finishes, and these treatments can be done on order on any other fabric as well as per buyer requirements.
To understand better feel free to get in touch with us at info@pashupatioverseas.com or call us at +91-9311197995 or visit us at www.positex.com
