Herein, the influence of the antimicrobial treatments of organic cotton fabrics (OCFs) using silver-copper-zeolite microparticles (hereafter referred to as ‘zeolite’) was investigated. There were six different methods applied to six different types of OCFs. The antimicrobial performances demonstrate around 95.33% and 93.88% reduction of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria after 30 times home laundry, respectively. The color stability yield by the surface plasmon resonance mates the commercial requirement in items of colorfastness ratings of 3-4 for wash, 4 for light, 4-5 for dry rubbing, and 3-4 for wet rubbing. These findings established that this treatment successfully endowed OCFs with long-lasting antimicrobial capabilities and thermal stability due to the interaction with the microparticles. The phenomenon was further confirmed by morphological, spectroscopical, and thermal characterization. This approach of OCFs functionalization avoiding hazardous chemicals could be a benchmark for antimicrobial performances in sustainable industrial applications.

The wet processing sector in the textile industry consumes a massive amount of water and energy. In addition, the textile industry generates significant amounts of effluents. Consumer awareness, environmental laws and regulations, water scarcity, and high energy costs have forced textile manufacturers to reduce their water and energy usage. An alternative way to minimize water and energy consumption in textile industries is to alter the chemical finishing processes from conventional water‐assisted systems to foam-assisted systems. This review focuses on the prospects of foam application in textile dyeing and finishing. Here, we summarize the foam application methods on cotton textiles from published peer-reviewed sources. We also analyze and compare the results of the dyeing and finishing parameters of the foam application approach over conventional padding methods. Finally, we propose some suggestions for further research on foam technology for textiles.