ISO 20743:2013 specifies quantitative test methods to determine the antibacterial activity of all antibacterial textile products including nonwovens.

ISO 20743:2013 is applicable to all textile products, including cloth, wadding, thread and material for clothing, bedclothes, home furnishings and miscellaneous goods, regardless of the type of antibacterial agent used (organic, inorganic, natural or man-made) or the method of application (built-in, after-treatment or grafting).

This test method uses bacteria either Staphylococcus aureus or Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, this can be adapted to include other bacteria as requested by the customer.

How SIG Can Help

SIG laboratory provides a comprehensive range of antibacterial  testing for a range of products such as:

Therefore, SIG laboratory can support you in compliance with regulatory requirements and ensure your products are safe and of high quality.

Several microorganisms can be tested :

• Bacillus cereus
• Bacillus sp
• Bacillus subtilis
• Enterobacter aerogenes
• Enterococcus faecalis
• Enterococcus hirae
• Escherichia coli
• Klebsiella pneumonia
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Pseudomonas sp
• Salmonella sp
• Salmonella typhimurium
• Shigella sonnei
• Shigella sp
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Staphylococcus epidermidis
• Streptococcus sp.
• Vibrio cholerae
• Aspergillus niger (Mold)
• Aspergillus brasiliensis (Mold)
• Candida albicans (Yeast)

Method of Analysis

The bacterial suspension is inoculated onto the fabric surface for ISO 20743 and the plastic surface for ISO 22196. A cloth or plastic without antimicrobial agents is prepared as a blank. After a certain contact time, the results are compared to determine the bactericidal activity of the cloth or plastic