Natural and Hybrid Antimicrobial Finishes for Textiles: Activity, Immobilization, and Wash Durability

The effectiveness of antimicrobial textile finishes depends not only on the antimicrobial agent itself but also on how it is incorporated into the textile substrate. Focusing on textiles for protective and civil applications, this review compares natural antimicrobial agents and hybrid textile finishes with respect to their mechanisms of action, immobilization methods, activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens, wash durability, and technological feasibility. Chitosan can provide antimicrobial activity and can also serve as a film-forming, binding, or carrier component in textile finishes, whereas alginate is used mainly as a matrix or carrier for other active compounds and lignin as an antimicrobial additive. Plant-derived agents, including Aloe vera constituents, curcumin, juglone, and essential oils, show antimicrobial activity, although the evidence for their stability and durability varies between compounds and application methods. Hybrid formulations combine active agents with polymeric carriers or binders, while grafting and crosslinking can improve their retention on textile substrates and preserve antimicrobial activity during use. The best-documented wash durability was reported for chitosan-based finishes stabilized by grafting or crosslinking, which retained their antibacterial effect after 50-75 washing cycles, whereas plant extracts and essential oils still require better stabilization and fixation before industrial use.