Antibacterial Properties of White Cotton/Naturally Brown-Colored Cotton Blended Fabrics

Naturally brown-colored cotton (NBCC) fibers have been reported as having excellent antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Generally, NBCC fibers are used in blends with other fibers (e.g., white cotton fiber) to improve yarn qualities and also produce more color shades. The antibacterial properties of NBCC/white cotton blends were investigated as spunlace nonwoven fabrics in this study. Pure NBCC fiber showed antibacterial activity of 91.7% and 86.9% against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Antibacterial activities of the blends containing greater than 70% brown cotton were very similar to those of NBCC fiber. The effects of scouring, laundering, and sunlight exposure on the antibacterial activity of the NBCC/white cotton blends were reported.