Cubicle curtains are touched repeatedly by staff, patients and visitors. They get bioburden — that’s unavoidable. The question is whether the fabric itself resists microbial growth between launderings.

Standard curtains

Inherently flame-retardant polyester. Meets HTM 66 for fire and structural performance. Hygiene depends entirely on laundering schedule and handling.

Antimicrobial curtains

Same base fabric with an inherent (not topical) antimicrobial agent woven into the yarn. Independently tested against MRSA, E. coli, C. difficile spores and norovirus surrogates. The treatment doesn’t wash out, doesn’t lose efficacy over the curtain’s life, and continues working between launderings.

When to use which

• Inpatient wards, A&E, ITU, isolation rooms: antimicrobial. The infection control benefit is meaningful and the cost difference is small.
• Outpatient consulting rooms: antimicrobial recommended.
• Changing rooms, non-clinical screens: standard is fine.

What it costs

Antimicrobial fabric is typically 8–12% more than standard. Across the curtain’s service life that’s pence per day. We default new quotes to antimicrobial for clinical specs.

See also: Disposable vs reusable.

Related guides

• Disposable vs reusable cubicle curtains
• HTM 66 compliance explained
• How often should cubicle curtains be changed?