Bacterial contamination of textiles is an important hygiene issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate how nanoroughness-mediated surface wettability influences bacterial adhesion after liquid fouling. In particular, the effectiveness of superhydrophobic surfaces in mitigating liquid contamination and bacterial adhesion is investigated. The wettability of polyester film, nonwoven, and woven fabrics was modulated by varying the surface chemistry and nanoscale roughness by using O2 plasma etching and n-dodecyltrimethoxysilane deposition. Superhydrophobic surfaces completely repelled phosphate-buffered saline and lysogeny broth without any residue, and the film and woven fabric outperformed the nonwoven in water repellency. Adhesion of Escherichia coli with and without prior fouling of milk and oil was highest on the woven fabric and lowest on the film, regardless of surface wettability, due to bulk pores present in the fabric. The impact of prior milk fouling on the nonwoven and woven fabrics was minor. On the contrary, all tested samples, including superhydrophobic surfaces, exhibited immediate oil spreading and the oil-absorbed nonwoven and woven fabrics reduced bacterial adhesion except for O2 plasma-treated hydrophilic surfaces. This study is significant for providing an informative discussion on the effect of nanoroughness-mediated wetting properties on bacterial contamination in practical textile fouling scenarios.
