Chitosan Bio Finish for Base Layers: Care and Longevity Guide
The best odour-control fabric loses its value quickly in the wrong laundry routine. This is the care guidance we issue with long sleeve base layers built on Chitosan Bio Finish.
How the value works
Chitosan Bio Finish works because the cationic biopolymer breaks bacterial membranes on contact. The system is specified to bacterial reduction above 95% with a bio-based active agent against ISO 20743 antibacterial test, and it is designed to last 10-20 washes under the care described below. The sweat zone for long sleeve base layers is the back and the underarm, which is where the treatment has to sit.
Washing
Wash at 30-40 degrees with mild detergent and no fabric softener. Softener leaves a film that feeds bacteria and blocks active surfaces, which is the single most common reason a good fabric starts to smell. Every lot is measured against ISO 20743 antibacterial test before the fabric is released for cutting.
Drying and storage
wash mild and dry away from direct heat. Never store the garment damp: bacteria multiply in the hours between a training session and the wash, and that is when permanent smells set in. Cost impact is USD 0.20-0.40 per garment, which is usually recovered through fewer returns across a season.
Expected service life
With correct care, performance holds for 10-20 washes. After that point the value declines slowly rather than failing, so the garment remains wearable, just less protected. Wear trials were run under skiing, cycling and winter training rather than in the laboratory alone.
When to replace
If smell returns immediately after washing at the back and the underarm, the system has reached its end. That is a reasonable moment to replace long sleeve base layers, and it is far later than with an untreated knit. The care label states wash mild and dry away from direct heat, and that wording is the condition behind 10-20 washes.
