Comparative test of 25 antibacterial children’s clothing: all meet the standards, but “antibacterial” does not mean “sterilizing”
Children’s health has always been the most important thing for parents. In recent years, many children’s clothing labeled with antibacterial functions have emerged in large numbers. So, can antibacterial children’s clothing really be antibacterial?
In April and July, the Qingdao Municipal Consumer Protection Commission released a comparative test report on 25 antibacterial clothing for infants and children. The 25 models of children’s clothing in this trial involve common categories such as newborn onesies, infant crawlers, children’s underwear, children’s suits, etc., with a total of 22 brands, with market prices ranging from 120 yuan to 781 yuan. Brands include Miki HOUSE, Luolai kids, pierre cardin, i-baby, FILA, balabala, ANTA, ANTA, Shengkai Angel, Chuyimeng, les enphants, Xiandanmu, potato kids Xiaofanshu, AiMER BABY, Mengjie baby, etc.
The samples are purchased by the staff in major shopping malls as ordinary consumers and sent to Qingdao ProductQuality Textile and Clothing Department of the Supervision and Inspection Institute, National Ecological The Textile Quality Inspection and Testing Center conducts comparative tests.
It is reported that this experiment mainly tested three types of indicators: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, to reveal the authenticity of children’s clothing’s antibacterial properties.
The experimental results show that among the 25 antibacterial children’s clothing samples, the antibacterial indicators of two children’s clothing models, the ranch turtleneck blue suit from Guangzhou Yingshi Sales Company and the newborn onesie from Zhejiang Semir Clothing Company, did not reach the antibacterial index during the initial inspection. The antibacterial grade marked on the tag was re-inspected on the two batches of samples in accordance with the evaluation standards of the comparative test specification results. The re-inspection results met the standard requirements.
In addition, the results show that the sample quality does not change with the price of the product. In other words, the higher the price, the better the quality of this type of product, and it is not necessarily related to brand awareness.
Formaldehyde, pH value, color fastness and other items all meet the standards
In this comparative test, the formaldehyde content test results of all samples were not detected (<20mg/kg). Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a strong pungent odor and is easily soluble in alcohol and ether. Formaldehyde is very harmful to the body, irritating the respiratory tract, inducing allergies, and even causing cancer in severe cases. The processing of clothes is inseparable from the participation of formaldehyde. First, active resins containing formaldehyde are used to flatten the clothes and make them look crisp. Second, fabrics containing formaldehyde are used to make the colors look brighter, including those on some clothes. Printing also contains formaldehyde.
Color fastness to rubbing (dry and wet rubbing), color fastness to water, color fastness to perspiration (acid, alkali), color fastness to washing, and color fastness to light all meet the standard requirements. Color fastness refers to the resistance of a textile color to various effects during processing and use. Products with poor color fastness will cause peeling and fading when worn. The shed dye molecules and accompanying heavy metal ions may be absorbed through the skin. It can be absorbed by the human body and endanger health, and it can also contaminate other clothing during wearing or washing.
The fiber content meets the standard requirements. Fiber content is a description of the raw materials used in a product. It is the most direct way for companies to communicate the raw materials of the product to consumers. It is also the main basis for consumers to understand the materials and performance of clothing when purchasing. If the fiber content is not labeled or labeled incorrectly, it will mislead consumers.
The pH values all meet the standard requirements. Textile pH refers to the pH value of textile water extract, which objectively reflects the pH of the fabric surface. During the production and processing of textiles, whether they are desizing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, or printing, they must undergo color fixation, reduction, and cleaning. These processes require the use of large amounts of soda ash, caustic soda, pH regulators, surfactants, and other substances. , if the water is not washed thoroughly, there will be acid and alkali residues on the fabric, which will destroy the weakly acidic environment on the surface of the human body, cause itching, and make the skin susceptible to other germs, causing skin inflammation. According to the national textile safety technical specifications, textile products for infants and young children should meet the requirements of Class A (pH value 4.0-7.5), textile products that directly contact the skin should at least meet the requirements of Class B (pH value 4.0-8.5), and textile products that do not directly contact the skin should meet the requirements of Class B (pH value 4.0-8.5). Products should meet at least Category C requirements (pH value 4.0-9.0). Take its value, the larger the value, the greater the alkalinity, and conversely, the greater the acidity.
The antibacterial rates all meet the standard requirements
The antibacterial rate in the test was mainly tested for three indicators: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Some product packaging promotes antibacterial concepts such as soy protein, grass coral, and mint. The process is to add grass coral, mint and other natural antibacterial ingredients to the spinning solution to make fiber, and then spin and weave the final product. Textile fabrics and garments with antibacterial effect.
In this comparative test, the antibacterial indicators of Guangzhou Yingshi Sales Company’s ranch turtleneck blue suit and Zhejiang Semir Clothing Company’s newborn jumpsuit did not meet the antibacterial level requirements stated on their tags during initial testing. In accordance with the comparative test specification result evaluation standards, the two batches of samples were re-inspected, and the re-inspection results met the standard requirements.
“Antibacteria does not mean sterilization”
The antibacterial performance of antibacterial children’s clothing is due to the use of special…Is it made of high-quality fabrics, or is antibacterial ingredients added to the fabrics? Will the added ingredients cause secondary harm to the child’s health? In this regard, Guan Ning, a senior engineer at Qingdao Quality Inspection Institute, pointed out that the antibacterial properties of knitted products refer to the ability of textiles to inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria on fabrics. “Suppression is not the same as killing, so antibacterial does not mean Sterilization, these are two concepts.”
Guan Ning told reporters that the sources of antibacterial performance of clothing are mainly divided into two categories. One category is products woven directly from antibacterial fibers, and the other category is products that have been antibacterially finished. Children’s clothing will undergo strict quality testing before being put on the market. The added antibacterial finishing agents must meet quality and safety standards and requirements, so they will not cause secondary harm.
Consumption suggestions
1. Try to buy antibacterial clothing at children’s clothing counters in shopping malls or regular e-commerce platforms. Before purchasing, parents should pay attention to check whether the hangtag is standardized, whether the certificate indicates the factory name, factory address, implementation standards, safety technology category, and whether it clearly states its antibacterial function, ingredient content and other information.
2. Treat the antibacterial properties of clothing rationally. The antibacterial performance of clothing, as the name suggests, refers to the resistance of clothing to microorganisms (E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans). After clothing is worn and washed, the antibacterial effect will decrease to varying degrees.
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