The Influence of Physical Characteristics of Wet Wipe Fabrics on the Microbial Biomass Accumulation

The physicochemical properties of nonwoven wet wipe fabrics have a strong influence on the ability of microorganisms to attach and multiply, until a biofilm is formed. Cellulose-based fabrics, being biodegradable, represent a major contamination risk. In addition, having a hydrophilic nature, they provide a good platform for microorganisms attachment. To optimize biodegradable wet wipes antimicrobial quality, it is crucial to assess the impact of physicochemical properties, e.g., density, pore size, fiber diameter, contact angle and surface charge. Here, we investigated the physical characteristics of commonly used nonwoven fabrics from both synthetic (Polyethylene terephthalate, PET) and natural components (wood pulp and viscose), to evaluate their effect on microbial contamination. We found that the hydrophobicity of the fabric had varying influence on attachment, depending on the microbial strain. However, the geometry, as well as the fabric pore size greatly affected attachment regardless of the microbial strain, in which a larger pore size resulted in lower accumulation of microbial biomass. Our study gives insight into the characteristics of wet wipes that can affect the preservation efficacy and microbial contamination risk, in one of the biggest segments in the personal care industry.