ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND STORAGE STABILITY OF HYGIENIC WET WIPES BASED ON SUSTAINABLE NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Wet wipes are good examples of common textile materials used in daily life. Although they can serve for different purposes, wet wipes for personal hygiene are especially popular, in particular, those with antimicrobial properties. Considering their demand, especially during epidemics, it is expected that the wet wipe market has the potential to expand further. In order to achieve antibacterial properties, wet wipes contain various chemicals, some of which can have a negative impact on human health. By using natural substances, it is aimed to minimize the use of harmful substances in wet wipes and offer innovative products on the market. For this, in the present study, leaf extract and fruit juice from gilaburu plants (Viburnum opulus L.) were used. The solutions obtained were used directly, without the addition of any further chemicals, in the impregnation of nonwoven webs/fabrics. Then, the impregnated nonwoven webs (wet wipes) were analyzed in terms of antibacterial properties and storage stability. The obtained results showed that the wipes (nonwoven webs) impregnated with gilaburu fruit juice could decrease Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria populations even after 5 weeks of storage.