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The present work reports the application of trisiloxane polyether silicone surfactant to remove various stains along with a range of hydrocarbon (organic) surfactants to investigate whether silicone surfactants offer synergism or antagonism during the cotton fabric cleaning process. Cotton fabric was soiled with red wine, turmeric, permanent marker, acrylic paint, and coffee and washed with the original fabric in aqueous solutions of individual surfactant and blend of surfactants by applying the conventional shaking washing method. The detergency and soil redeposition were determined from the alteration in the surface reflectance of prepared stained fabrics and the original fabric after washing. Surfactants used for the washing were trisiloxane polyether silicone surfactant (AG-Platinum), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, lauryl alcohol ethoxylate (LA-10), and nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP-10) and their blends. In comparison with individual hydrocarbon surfactants, blends of surfactants (with different hydrocarbon to silicone surfactant ratios) dislodged stains (accumulated on the fabric as a result of staining) effectively at shorter time and at lower bath ratio because of superior surface properties. With increasing concentration of surfactant, detergency increased and reached a maximum at the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Silicone surfactant reduced the CMCs of the surfactant blends and provided better detergency at lower concentration. From this study, it was found that silicone surfactant could be successfully introduced into laundry detergent formulations. Graphical abstract

The development of textile finishing with improved functional properties has been a growing interest among industry and scientists worldwide. The recent global pandemic also enhanced the awareness amongst many toward improved hygiene and the use of antimicrobial textiles. Generally, natural herbal components are known to possess antimicrobial properties which are green and eco-friendly. This research reports a novel and innovative method of developing and optimising nano-emulsions using two combinations of herbal extracts produced from Moringa oleifera, curry leaf, coconut oil (nano-emulsion 1) and other using Aegle marmelos with curry leaf and coconut oil (nano-emulsion 2). Nano-emulsions were optimised for their pH, thermal stability, and particle size, and percentage add-on. Organic cotton fabrics (20 and 60 gsm) were finished with nano-emulsions using continuous and batch processes and characterised for their surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The finished fabrics were evaluated for their Whiteness Index, assessed for antimicrobial resistance against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) using AATCC 100 and 147 methods. In addition, fabrics were assessed for their antifungal efficacy (AATCC 30), tensile strength and air permeability. Results suggested that finished organic fabrics with nano-emulsions had antimicrobial resistance, antifungal, wash fastness after 20 washing cycles, and sufficient strength. This novel finishing method suggests that organic cotton fabrics treated with nano-emulsions can be used as a durable antimicrobial textile for healthcare and hygiene textiles.

Abbreviations: PIT, phase inversion temperature; PEG, poly ethylene glycol; CMC, carboxy methyl cellulose; HLB, hydrophile lipophile balance Essential oils are volatile, natural, complex compounds characterized by a strong odor and are formed by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance-the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived known for their antiseptic, i.e. bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, medicinal and fragrance properties etc. They are used in embalmment, preservation of foods and as antibacterial, analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic J Textile Eng Fashion Technol. 2017;1(2):42-47 42 AbstractFinishing of various textile fabrics to make it more marketable and its demand is increasing due to global competition, and increasing globalization has created many challenges to the textile researchers and industrialist. The rapid growth in technical textiles and their end uses has generated many opportunities for the application of innovative finishes. The next phase of growth and development of this industry will be focused on three main aspects:a. Value-added products with enhanced functionality b. Apparels c. Sustainable products.

Nanoemulsions of silicone oil and pine oil using a binary surfactant system were prepared. Silicone oil and pine oil were used to achieve softness and mosquito repellency and antibacterial activity respectively when the nanoemulsion was applied on the fabric. A silicone surfactant (AG‐pt) and a hydrocarbon surfactant (TDA‐6) were used in different proportions to obtain stable nanoemulsions at the lowest possible droplet size. The various emulsification process variables such as ratio of hydrocarbon to silicone surfactant, surfactant concentration, ratio of silicone oil to pine oil, oil weight fraction and sonication time have been studied. The optimal variables include the ratio of hydrocarbon to silicone surfactant of 80:20, surfactant concentration of 8%, ratio of silicone oil to pine oil of 80:20, oil weight fraction of 20% and 15 min of sonication time at 40% of the applied power. Nanoemulsions were found to be very stable with emulsion droplet size around 41 nm. In order to compare different emulsification techniques, emulsions were also prepared using the conventional method. Emulsions analyzed using SEM showed spherical droplets ranging from 40 to 120 nm. Atomic force microscopy was used to evaluate the bounciness, fluffiness and softness of fabric. From this study, it was found that stable nanoemulsion with a lowest possible droplet size of silicone and pine oil could be prepared by ultrasonic emulsification technique in order to deliver multiple properties when applied to fabric.