Bacterial and Odor Profile of Clothes 2

Clothing textiles are in close contact with the microorganisms of the skin and those of the environment. The clothes create a warm and often moist environment on the skin, which leads to the growth of bacteria. In some cases, these microorganisms lead to unpleasant odors, staining, fabric deterioration and even physical irritation, like skin allergies and skin infections. The skin consists of various niches, each with its specific bacterial community present. Very dry areas, such as the forearm, trunk and legs, harbor only 102 bacteria per cm2, while the axillae, umbilicus and toe web spaces contain up to 107 bacteria per cm2. The human skin contains up to 19 different phyla and even in one niche, the axillae, up to 9 different phyla are present. Skin microorganisms transfer to the clothing fibers and interact with these in several phases: adherence, growth and damage to the fibers. Growth of bacteria is due to sweat secretions, skin desquamation, natural particles present in the clothing fibers or on the fibers itself, or nutrition from elsewhere in the environment. An important factor determining bacteria-fiber interaction is the origin and the composition of the clothing textile. A large discrepancy exists in the way bacteria adhere to natural versus synthetic fibers. It is posed that natural fibers are more easily affected by the microbiota due to the natural nutrients present in the clothing and the ability to adsorb sweat components. Cellulose fibers are degraded by a range of bacteria and fungi, possessing cellulolytic enzymes. Synthetic fibers gather moisture in the free space between the fibers but do not adsorb it on the fibers themselves. Synthetic fibers are therefore less susceptible towards bacterial breakdown, also due to the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) basis of the fiber.