Analysis of the Survey on the Consumer's Knowledge and Laundry Habits to Microorganisms Living in Clothing

의류 중의 미생물에 대한 소비자의 지식과 세탁습관 실태조사 분석

Microorganisms living in clothing cause damage to fabric as well as unhygienic conditions with unpleasant odor fur wearers. Removal or growth of microorganisms are affected by the conditions during washing and storage. The purpose of this research was to study the consumer's knowledge and habits in laundering with respect to microorganisms in clothing. For survey method, questionnaires were administered to 580 housewives, age of 20∼60s living in Seoul. Employing 479 respondents, the data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The results are as follows: The level of knowledge about microorganisms of clothing was high in general, but wasn't expert level. Many people had experienced damages of textiles, clothing and unpleasant odor due to microorganisms. Fabric softeners and bleaches were rarely used for disinfection but usually used for antistatic, whitening or removal of stains. There was no relationship between laundering habits, the knowledge of microorganism, and experience of clothing damage by microorganism.