COVID-19 Pandemic Certainly Raised Awareness and Need for Hygiene Management for Textiles

Where do you think the demand for antimicrobial fabrics/textiles are coming from? Are those coming from brands and retailers? Or, from end-consumers (who have a bearing on brands/retailers in turn)?
Stefan Mueller: The demand for antimicrobial textiles is driven by both brands/retailers and end-consumers, with each influencing the other. Brands and retailers seek antimicrobial solutions to differentiate their products and respond to growing health-conscious trends. End-consumers are increasingly aware of and demanding products that offer added hygiene benefits. This consumer demand indirectly pushes brands to adopt antimicrobial technologies, creating a cycle where both ends of the market contribute to the growing demand for such fabrics.

Do you think end-consumers actually look for antimicrobial properties in a garment? 
Stefan Mueller: We see that consumer interest in antimicrobial performance in apparel is more indirect. End-consumers may not be explicitly looking for "antimicrobial" garments, but they are attracted to related benefits such as "odour resistance," "hygiene," or "freshness." This trend is particularly strong in activewear, athleisure, and medical textiles, where cleanliness and durability are highly valued. At Sanitized, we highlight the resulting benefits of freshness, comfort, and protection in our marketing, so that consumers become more aware of and receptive to these benefits, creating demand even when if it's not initially top of mind for the average shopper.

If one thinks even of just bandages, etc., the history of antimicrobial textiles is age-old. But it seems only now that antimicrobial fabrics are seen as a distinct market segment. How do you react to this assertion?
Stefan Mueller: Sanitized has stood for hygiene management, odour-control, and material protection since 1935. In this respect, I would not agree with the statement that there is a separate market segment for antimicrobial fabrics only in the recent past. Antimicrobial and biocide-free finishes are used in a wide variety of applications, including the medical sector. In the apparel and home textile sectors, these finishes are already standard in many cases.

How do you perceive the difference between garments with anti-microbial properties vis-a-vis medical textiles where such properties need to be intrinsic, as a fait accompli? How does a manufacturer or a technology provider look at something as fundamental as this? 
Stefan Mueller: I can only reiterate that antimicrobial equipment, odour control and hygiene management are now considered as a standard treatment in many areas. Ultimately, the application of our technologies is based on the specific needs of our customers and our goal is always to recommend the "best available Sanitized technology" to achieve the customer's goals.

But look at the fashion industry only, in which segment do you see the demand coming from mostly? Is it athleisure which is on a rise? Or, do you think all garments need to have anti-microbial properties as a basic element?
Stefan Mueller: Odour-reducing finishes have found their way into many different areas of the apparel sector — not just athleisure or sportswear. Synthetic-based textiles are certainly a focal point here. Our aim is to offer solutions tailored to market needs, whether based on antimicrobial additives (active systems) or biocide-free odour adsorbers (passive systems).

Not just garments, Sanitized also provides solutions for home textiles. Again, home textiles are not always discussed. Why is that so? When it comes to hygiene, home textiles ought to be the first to come to one's mind. Reactions, please.
Stefan Mueller: Home textiles are indeed fundamental to household hygiene, as they are frequently in contact with skin and exposed to various microbes. However, they are often overlooked in discussions about antimicrobial applications, perhaps because the focus has historically been on items with a more direct hygiene connection, like medical textiles or sportswear. Recently, though, the awareness is growing. 

Consumers are starting to understand that items like bedding, curtains, and towels can harbour bacteria and odours, making antimicrobial treatments increasingly relevant for these products too. Home textiles have been a very successful category of application for solutions from Sanitized with brand partners globally.

The other thing is odour. Do you think odour management and antimicrobial textiles all go hand in hand with hygiene? Or, do you think there are people (both your clients and end consumers) who want one property, but not the other two?
Stefan Mueller: Brands and retailers regularly work with our team to define the right claim based on the end use. Sanitized Odorex for biocide-free, long-lasting odour control is a unique approach for applications such as active wear, denim, and socks. The Sanitized Puretec technology for durable metal-free antimicrobial protection is the ideal solution for home textiles, apparel and many potential new consumer-oriented applications.

And last of all, what are you working on at Sanitized? What new can we expect from your company in the coming days? In which geographies are you operating now? What about your clients?
Stefan Mueller: Sanitized has global partnership with Archroma to operate in all regions and support every possible application using our innovative technologies such as Sanitized Puretec, Sanitized Odorex and Sanitized Silvertec. Continuous innovation is a key factor for future success, which always includes research activities for alternative active substances and further biocide-free or natural technologies.