Efficacy of Fabricated Cotton Bamboo and Tencel Socks with Herbal Finish

Abstract

The textile is an integral part of a human life. With advent in modern technology and faster production, textile manufacturing has taken a giant leap. Currently majority of the textiles are manufactured by chemical-based processing techniques. This leads to environmental pollution and health hazards related to skin in human beings. Based on the issue, the study on Efficacy of Fabricated Cotton, Bamboo and Tencel Socks with Herbal Finish was carried out. Five ayurvedic herbs namely Caesalpinia Sappan, Cassia Auriculata, Cassia Fistula, Mimosa Pudica and Tinospora Cordifolia was selected based on pilot study. Desizing of yarns were done using sea salt. Bleaching of yarns were carried out using cow urine, milk and honey. The selected yarns were immersed in concoction separately and left for three days for better herbs absorption by the yarns then dried under shade. After dyeing, the selected yarns were wounded, reeled and knitted into fabric and also socks. The finished yarns, fabrics and socks were evaluated both subjectively and objectively. The treated socks namely cotton, bamboo, tencel, bamboo/cotton and tencel/cotton, showed good resistance against selected microbes. Antibacterial activity of bamboo, bamboo/cotton and tencel socks had good activity against Staphylococcus Aureus and Micrococcus species after 10th wash. Antifungal activity of cotton, bamboo and bamboo/cotton socks proved good activity against Candida Tropicalis and Candida Albicans even after 10th wash. Based on the antimicrobial activity and experimental tests, bamboo and bamboo/cotton socks performed well when compared to cotton, tencel and tencel/cotton socks. The developed socks were cool and comfortable for wear. It can be recommended for long wear hours for both indoor and outdoor usage irrespective of climate. It can also be suggested for people with sensitive skin and skin allergies. newlinei) Major objectives : newlineMain Obectives: newline1. To conduct survey on consumer preference regarding socks. newline2. To select cotton, bamboo, bamboo/cotton, tencel and