Verification of the Deodorizing and Antibacterial Performances of Wool-Content Business Socks through Field Experiments

Abstract

Good deodorizing properties are vital for business socks. In this study, the deodorant and antibacterial performances of three types of business socks (with different wool-content ratios) were investigated using field experiments. An odor detector was used to quantify their odor intensity, while three panels were used for a qualitative sensory evaluation. Additionally, the number of viable bacterial colonies was measured after 48 h of culture using worn socks. The participants included seven males within the age group of 30– 60, and field experiments were conducted in the summer. The two types of socks with wool-content ratios of 58% and 76% showed a significantly better deodorizing performance (considering objective data using the odor detector and subjective feeling score by the panels) than polyester socks. Moreover, the wool content socks formed a significantly lower number of bacterial colonies than the polyester socks. Notably, the two wool-content socks could not be distinguished within the wool-content ratio range used in this study.