Tekstilde Antibakteriyel Test — ISO 20743 / ISO 20645 / AATCC 100

What Is Antibacterial?

Antibacterial effectiveness testing is the determination of the extent to which the antimicrobial treatment applied to the textile product prevents bacterial growth. In quantitative methods, the sample is inoculated with a known number of bacteria, after incubation the number of viable bacteria is compared to the untreated control, and the reduction is expressed logarithmically. The agar diffusion method, on the other hand, only gives a qualitative indication of inhibition.

Purpose of Antibacterial

The aim is to show that the antibacterial claim on the product has a measurable basis and to evaluate the permanence of the claim after washing.

Which Products Is Antibacterial Applied To?

Sportswear and socks
Medical textiles and gowns
Bedding and home textile
underwear
Carpet and upholstery

In Which Sectors Is Antibacterial Used?

TextilesRetailConsumer ProductsMedical Device

Standards Related to Antibacterial

TS EN ISO 20743 (determination of antibacterial activity — quantitative)
TS EN ISO 20645 (agar diffusion plate test — qualitative)
AATCC 100 (nicel)
AATCC 147 (parallel line method)
JIS L 1902

Antibacterial Conditions

Test organisms: Usually Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae; varies according to specification
incubation: At standard defined temperature and time
Control: The same untreated fabric is used as reference
Permanence: If desired, repeat with samples after washing.

Equipment for Antibacterial

Microbiology laboratory and sterile cabinet
incubator cabinet
Autoclave
Colony counting system
Reference washing machine (for durability)

Sample Requirements for Antibacterial

Treated and untreated control samples should be submitted together
Samples should be prepared under sterile conditions
If permanence is desired, washed samples should also be sent.
Active ingredient and method of administration must be declared

Duration of Antibacterial

Incubation time and microbiological counting constitute the main duration of the experiment. If permanence after washing is desired, washing cycles significantly extend the time.

Antibacterial Procedure

1Treated and control samples are prepared sterile.
2Samples are inoculated with a known number of bacterial suspensions.
3It is incubated at the temperature and time defined in the standard.
4Bacteria are recovered from the sample and a dilution series is prepared.
5Sowing is done on the medium and colonies are counted.
6The logarithmic decrease compared to the control and the antibacterial activity value are calculated.

Antibacterial Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criterion is the minimum antibacterial activity value in the specification. ISO 20743 defines how activity value is calculated; The specification or product claim determines what value is considered sufficient.

Evaluation of Results

Efficacy is evaluated relative to untreated control; If there is not sufficient bacterial growth in the control, the experiment is invalid. Agar does not give a quantitative reduction as a result of diffusion and does not replace the quantitative method.

Antibacterial Report

Sample description and active ingredient declaration
Standard applied and test organisms
Livestock numbers for control and sample
Logarithmic decrease and antibacterial activity value
Number of washing cycles and subsequent results, if any

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) 528/2012 (processed goods provisions)

Tekstil Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Antibacterial test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Textile testing answers two questions separately: does the fabric hold up physically over its service life, and does it carry any substance restricted for human health? These two axes require different laboratory infrastructure and different decision mechanisms.

On the physical side, breaking and tear strength, abrasion resistance, pilling, dimensional change, colour fastness and water and oil repellency are measured. Most of these tests depend on the USE SCENARIO: Martindale abrasion cycles are decisive for an upholstery fabric, while dimensional change in washing and colour fastness come to the fore for a shirting fabric. The same fabric goes through a different test set for a different use.

Colour fastness is a body of work of its own in this field and is not a single test. The fastness of the same fabric to light, washing, rubbing, perspiration, saliva, chlorinated water and ironing is measured separately; each represents a different moment of use. Results are rated from 1 to 5 on the grey scale and the specification gives a separate minimum rating for each agent.

On the chemical side, aromatic amines released from azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals, phthalates, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, alkylphenols and PFAS compounds are screened. These items come from REACH restrictions, brand restricted substance lists (RSL) and voluntary schemes such as OEKO-TEX. Brand lists are often stricter than legislation; the target customer is decisive.

There is NO CE marking on consumer textiles. The obligation has three legs: fibre composition and care labelling, compliance with chemical restrictions, and general product safety. Textiles claiming a protective function (workwear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility clothing) fall under personal protective equipment legislation, where CE is mandatory — this distinction is commercially critical.

Verifying the label declaration is the most routine work in the field. Quantitative fibre analysis confirms the blend ratio stated on the label; tolerance ranges are defined in legislation. An incorrect fibre declaration both misleads the consumer and affects customs classification.

Sustainability claims have added a new body of work to the field in recent years: verification of recycled content (GRS, RCS), organic content (GOTS), restriction of harmful chemicals and water/energy footprint declarations. These claims now require auditable evidence.

Method groups in this field

Strength and durability
Strip and grab breaking strength, tearing by the Elmendorf and tongue methods, seam strength, bursting strength.
Abrasion and surface
Martindale and rotary platform abrasion, pilling and fuzzing, fabric mass and thread density measurements.
Dimensional stability
Dimensional change in washing and drying, wrinkling behaviour, appearance after ironing.
Colour fastness
Fastness to light (xenon), washing, rubbing, perspiration, saliva, water and chlorinated water; rating on the grey scale.
Functional properties
Water repellency (spray test), oil repellency, waterproofness, air permeability, effectiveness of antibacterial finishes, UV protection factor.
Chemical analyses
Aromatic amines from azo dyes, formaldehyde, pH, heavy metals, phthalates, chlorinated phenols, PFAS and alkylphenols.

Commonly confused in this field

A brand restricted substance list (RSL) may be stricter than legislation; REACH compliance does not mean compliance with the customer specification.
Textiles claiming a protective function fall under PPE legislation and require CE; an ordinary textile test report does not satisfy that file.
Colour fastness is not a single number; a rating cannot be interpreted without stating which agent it relates to.
A result obtained for a fabric does not cover the whole garment made from it; lining, sewing thread, print and trims are assessed separately.
Performance claims after washing are valid together with the stated number of wash cycles; the word "permanent" on its own is not verifiable.

Which decisions these results support

Compliance with the brand restricted substance list (RSL)
Verification of label declarations: fibre composition and care instructions
Determining the performance class of upholstery and technical textiles
Pre-import shipment inspection and lot acceptance
Supporting sustainability and recycled content claims

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Antibacterial

Is testing sufficient to make an antibacterial claim?

Testing shows effectiveness, but it is not sufficient on its own. The active substance used in processed articles within the scope of (EU) 528/2012 must be approved and labeling rules must be followed. Event data is part of this framework.

Is antiviral activity measured by the same test?

Immeasurable. Antiviral effectiveness requires a separate standard and virus culture infrastructure, such as ISO 18184. The antibacterial result does not support the antiviral claim.

Does the effectiveness decrease after washing?

It varies depending on the way the active ingredient binds to the fiber. If there is a claim for permanence, the experiment must be repeated with washed samples; The unwashed sample result does not indicate the lifetime performance of the product.