Manufacturing companies in the business of antibacterial textiles need to maintain the effectiveness of their products because of the importance of hygiene and cleanliness in today’s world. ISO 20743, therefore, acts as a crucial standard that helps various organizations in the development of textiles for which strict regulatory requirements must be met while ensuring their antibacterial efficacy. Here we provide details about ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles, the international standard that ensures these products meet the expectations and provide a critical path to manufacturers for excellence.
Basically, the aim of such assessment is to provide antibacterial textiles that restrict bacterial proliferation. In fact, every textile treated with specific antibacterial agents needs to be thoroughly tested so as to accurately estimate the efficiency of the substance for providing safe bacteria-resistant solutions to the consumers.
What is ISO 20743?
ISO 20743 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of textile products. This standard focuses on textiles treated with an antibacterial agent for the purposes of reducing bacterial contamination and it specifies quantitative test methods for determining the reduction of bacterial load on treated textiles. This standard applies to all types of textiles, such as clothing, bed linens and home furnishings.
Scope of application
ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles is used for the determination of the antibacterial activity of all kinds of textile products, irrespective of the antibacterial agent used or the method of application. The standard applies to textiles used in various sectors, including:
- Healthcare: Medical scrubs, bed linens and other textiles used in hospitals and clinics.
- Hospitality: Towels, linens and uniforms used in hotels and restaurants.
- Consumer Goods: Everyday items like clothing, home textiles and hygiene products.
- Industrial Sectors: Protective clothing and equipment used in industries where hygiene is critical.
The wide application makes ISO 20743 very important to the manufacturers looking forward to ensuring that their textiles are antibacterial and meet the efficacy and safety requirements.
Why is ISO 20743 important?
- Product development: ISO 20743 provides manufacturers with a standardized method for testing the antibacterial efficacy of their textiles. This ensures that products are developed with effective antibacterial properties, meeting the expectations of both regulatory bodies and consumers.
- Quality assurance: ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles helps manufacturers maintain consistent quality in their products. By following the test procedures outlined in the standard, manufacturers can ensure that their products meet the required antibacterial performance, providing peace of mind to consumers and businesses.
- Regulatory compliance: Most industries have regulative bodies that require antibacterial textiles to meet minimum standards to ensure health and safety amongst the public. ISO 20743 test helps manufacturers comply with these regulations by assessing the product effectiveness thus reducing risks of non-compliance and related penalties.
ISO 20743 test methods
ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles describes several test methods to determine the antibacterial efficacy of textiles. These methods are designed to measure how effectively a textile can inhibit bacterial growth or kill bacteria. The standard specifies three main methods:
1. Absorption method
In the absorption method, the bacterial suspension is directly inoculated onto the textile sample. Following incubation for the specified period, the number of remaining viable bacteria is quantified in order to get the antibacterial efficacy of the textile. This is an ideal method for textiles that can absorb the bacterial inoculum, such as fabrics used in clothes and linens.
2. Transfer method
This is the method of transferring the bacteria to an agar plate and then onto the textile sample. Following incubation, the bacteria remaining on the textile are counted. The method is suitable for non-absorbent textiles.
3. Printing method
In this technique, the bacteria are applied to the textile by means of a filter. Then, after incubation, the bacterial reduction is measured. This is the perfect technique for textiles with complex structures such as wadded materials or yarns, for which liquid inoculation may fail.
Test conditions and requirements
ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles outlines conditions under which the tests for antibacterial efficacy should be conducted to guarantee consistency and reliability. These include:
Test organisms
The standard mandates the use of specific bacterial strains, including:
- Staphylococcus aureus: Staphylococcus aureus bacterium is usually involved in skin infections, infection in wounds, and post-surgery infections. Therefore, antibacterial textiles, which are used in wound dressings, uniforms or bedding, should be able to hinder the growth of this bacterium so that the chances of infection could be minimized for sensitive patients.
- Klebsiella pneumoniae: Klebsiella pneumoniae, one of the most dangerous pathogens for immune-deficient patients. Textile efficiency should therefore be studied in reducing the transmission of this pathogen in healthcare and hospital zones, where such populations are rampant.
Test temperature: The ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles test is conducted at a temperature of 37°C, which is the normal condition in which antibacterial textiles are put to use, particularly in the healthcare and industrial sectors.
Contact time: The time of exposure given for testing the textile’s antibacterial activity is based on the methodology applied and ranges from 18 to 24 hours. This duration ensures that the textile has enough time to exhibit its antibacterial properties effectively.
Passing criteria: The textile passes the ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles test when it exhibits the minimum 3-log reduction or 99.9% reduction in bacterial count. This indicates a significant reduction in the viable count of bacteria.
How is the ISO 20743 test conducted?
A series of procedures is detailed for performing the ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles test for measuring the viable bacterial count:
1. Preparing test solutions: The first procedure is the preparation and treatment of the textile sample with the antibacterial agent.
2. Inoculation and incubation: The textile sample is inoculated with the bacterial suspension by one of the following methods: absorption, transfer or printing. Then, the sample is incubated at 37°C for a fixed contact time, during which the bacteria are allowed to be in contact with the textile.
3. Neutralization and recovery: Following contact time, a neutralizing agent will be added to stop the antibacterial action. The use of neutralizer must be validated to ensure it does not affect the bacteria to be counted. The choice of the neutralizing solution depends on the recommendations of the manufacturer.
4. Enumerating viable bacteria: The plate count method is used to enumerate the surviving bacteria. This offers the quantitative assessment of the antibacterial activity of the textile.
5. Calculating antibacterial activity: The reduction in bacterial count is calculated by comparing the number of viable bacteria before and after incubation. The minimum passing criteria for ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles test is a 3-log reduction.
The Role of testing laboratories
ISO 20743 test has to be done in accredited microbiological laboratories which guarantee the high accuracy and reliability of results. Tests are conducted under defined conditions as suggested by the manufacturers.
ISO 20743 for antibacterial textiles test is essential for manufacturers producing antibacterial textiles. It ensures that such products protect users and businesses by meeting stringent international standards regarding their effectiveness against bacteria.
If you are a manufacturer looking to certify your antibacterial textiles, Microbe Investigations Switzerland (MIS) is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our testing and validation services and let us assist you in bringing high-quality, certified antibacterial textiles to the market.
