We supply antimicrobial finishes and we are careful about how they are described. Here is the honest version.

What the finish does

An antimicrobial treatment inhibits the growth of odour-causing bacteria on the fabric between washes. It is a real property and it genuinely reduces the musty smell a damp towel develops in a bag.

That is a comfort and freshness benefit, and for a member’s personal towel it is worth having.

What it does not do

It does not clean the towel, and it does not make a used towel safe to reissue. Nothing on the fabric substitutes for laundering, and a facility that launders less because its towels are treated has made a hygiene decision on false grounds.

That is the marketing we object to, and it is common enough in this category to be worth stating.

It also depletes

Most finishes are applied to the fabric and wear off with washing, so the protection declines over the life of the towel rather than lasting it.

Ask how many washes the finish is rated for. If nobody can tell you, treat it as a short-term benefit and price it accordingly.

What we recommend

Take it on member and retail towels, where it improves the experience between washes and the towel is laundered at home anyway.

Skip it as a reason to change anything about an issued-towel laundry cycle. Wash hot, wash often, and specify the fastness so the colour survives it.