The changing times have seen a great influence on human lifestyles. People are constantly seeking help and following advice from healthcare experts. And rightly so, because there is a chronic and terminal disease whose causes are hard to identify. These diseases are creating havoc and affecting everyone irrespective of age and habits. The continuous exposure to pathogens, interference of viruses due to microorganisms fiddling with food. Microorganisms are harmful particularly to pregnant women, children, elderly people, and almost everyone.

The continuous exposure to bacteria calls in for the use of bacteria-free products or antibacterial products. There are different measures taken to prevent harmful bacteria from entering our body and around our home and work environment. Since harmful bacteria is unidentifiable, having antibacterial clothes, packaging, medicines, food, perfumes, crockery and other things are extremely important

Antibacterial wearables have been in use for quite some long time now. Especially in the places where hygiene plays a significant role, like hospital wards, beddings for patients, maternity clothes and infant care clothes and sheets, antibacterial fabrics are used. Antibacterial fibers have been observed to create a healthy environment and have extended their utility in different sectors. The antimicrobial textile is now being used in manufacturing sportswear, gauges, industrial coveralls, bed linings, mattresses and curtains for households as well as hospitality sectors.

Best Marine amongst the other brands has contributed to bringing the antimicrobial fabric products to the widespread utility. Talking about antibacterial textile, a ubiquitous question that arises is ‘How can cloth be fighting against bacteria?'  Simply put, the natural or manmade cloth can be treated to form a bacteria resistant layer which will not damage the cloth or stick to it.

Pathogens quickly multiply and within no time, form a group of pathogens which has the potential of turning into a virus and cause diseases or to infect the air and the environment around it. The chemical layer formed on the fabrics after being treated does not let the microorganism or fungus or any kind of pathogen stick to it.  This prevents the bacteria from growing on fabrics and doesn't allow the bacteria to interfere with humans and prevents diseases and promotes a healthy environment around people.

The process of making anti-bacterial fabric begins by treating the fabric with chemicals in a variety of ways. The fabric can be treated with antibacterial compounds either during manufacturing stages or treated according to the utility.

1. While manufacturing: The antibacterial chemical can be introduced to the fiber during the spinning or extrusion stage. The compound can also be mixed with the dyes or color pigments during the coloring stage. This makes the whole lot of textile antibacterial and protects the cloth resistant to any bacteria.
   
   
2. Treating according to utility: Antibacterial clothes can be used in a variety of sectors. In health care, in hospitals, in making personal protective wear, or for making industrial coveralls. When the fabric is being manufactured for a particular industry, the coveralls can be treated with a chemical that is effective in that industry. For instance, if the coveralls are to be manufactured for a medicine producing company, there might be some specific microbe to which the employee can be exposed to, and special treatment needs to be done on the coverall to make it resistant to this kind of bacteria. This can be done by treating the fabric with a particular chemical. When such special treatment is done to the fabric, the process can be repeated timely with a specific washing process to maintain the antibacterial nature of the fabric.

The fabric treatment usually imparts the fabric with a smell that that kills bacteria and prevents its growth. The layer of this chemical on the fabric makes it impenetrable by bacteria and makes the cloth strong and durable.

The fabrics treated with antibacterial chemicals have a lot of benefits. To list a few, here are they:

1. They provide lasting and guaranteed protection against potentially harmful microbes.
2. The bacteria does not react with the surface of the cloth thus the cloth remains unaffected and is durable.
3. The fibre is neutral to any chemical reaction.
4. These fabrics retain their cleanliness and freshness for long.

Different chemical formulae can be used for the fabric treatments, but the two most common chemicals used are:

1. Quaternary Ammonium: This chemical primarily targets the microbial membrane and prevents the growth of microorganisms on the fabric.
2. Triclosan: This is the versatile chemical which is used as an antibacterial in a variety of products. Apart from treating fabrics, the compound is used in cosmetics as well as toothpaste to name a few.

There are other chemicals which are used that differ from the usage the fabric is going to be put through. For hospitals where patients with virus prone diseases are treated, the clothes of the patient, their beddings and other fabric material in their rooms are treated with special chemicals in every wash. This helps in maintaining patient safety and hygiene.

There are many manufacturers namely BioCote, Steritouch who specialize in treating fabrics to make them antibacterial.  Of all the manufacturing brands, Best Marine provides antimicrobial coverall, PPE workwear, boiler suit, and other personal protective clothing and they ensure that both the antibacterial technology and utility of the wearable is at it’s best.