It’s still silver. For now. 

That would be the short version of where we’re at with antimicrobials, but it needs, of course, a more detailed response to what is actually a complex question: what’s happening with antimicrobial treatments and textiles? Today’s market includes more than what we think of as an “antimicrobial,” based on what the customer needs the treatment to do. An antimicrobial, in the traditional sense, might not be needed for a shirt that inhibits odor, for example, but when it comes to killing as many harmful microbes as possible on a textile … different story.

An article titled “Why Silver Works So Well as an Antimicrobial and How It Works,” published on www.chemniverse.com Oct. 8, 2024, concludes, “Silver’s ability to kill bacteria through multiple mechanisms makes it a unique and effective antimicrobial agent. Its use has spanned centuries, and with the development of silver nanomaterials, its efficacy is only improving. In a world where antibiotic resistance is becoming a significant concern, silver offers a promising alternative that bacteria simply cannot outsmart.”

So, yes, it is still silver. But not all applications and products that want to inhibit bacteria need a treatment at the level silver provides. That’s one new direction for the antimicrobial discussion. The other is the concerns related to sustainability issues. Both have prompted antimicrobial treatment providers to work on developing alternatives that meet a variety of needs in the larger textile market space. 

Although R&D in antimicrobial treatments is a very long—and very expensive—process, there is progress to report. You’ll find pertinent information on this in our feature, “The complexities of antimicrobial textiles,”informed by a Q&A with Microban’s Ryan Scott. The company’s place in the world of antimicrobial treatments is firmly established, and Scott’s role in this company provides a window into how the market advances, which is slowly and with great care. 

But, as I said, this market area may be more complex than you think, and the solutions both (relatively) new on the market and those forthcoming with future R & D underway, reveal what could be transformational, one which could indeed be “a different story.” But it’s going to take time. 

Janet Preus is senior editor of Textile Technology Source. She can be reached at janet.preus@textiles.org.