By doing this, chains of infection that, for instance, allow viral or multi-resistant germs to reside on hospital curtains and subsequently spread by people could be broken.
The researchers eventually devised a coating method that involved uniformly applying a disinfectant containing benzalkonium chloride on hospital curtains. The coating stuck steadily to the textile surface after optimizing parameters, including concentration, exposure time, processing pressure, and drying.
The first fabric samples’ antibacterial activity needed to be examined to demonstrate if the coated fabrics possessed germicidal properties.
Wick added, “The results of the laboratory tests were very encouraging.”
Staphylococci and pseudomonas bacteria, for example, were stopped from growing when the coated fabrics were cultured with the bacterial cultures of some common problem pathogens.
“The hospital germs were significantly reduced or even killed after just 10 minutes of exposure,” Wick further added.
Additionally, the coating demonstrated efficacy against viral infections, as evidenced by the coated fabric samples’ ability to eradicate over 99% of the viruses.
A further benefit is that even after several months of storage, the coatings held their effectiveness. Production can now be done using stock on hand. As per Wick, the novel procedure has the potential to promptly and securely treat various textiles, filters, or cleaning utensils with antimicrobials in the future, particularly during an outbreak.
Journal Reference:
Meier, P., et al. (2023) Quaternary ammonium-based coating of textiles is effective against bacteria and viruses with a low risk to human health. Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47707-3