Odor reduction and bacterial control on a textile material

A method for prolonged odor reduction and bacterial control on and within a treated textile material, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a bath liquor,
• (b) adding a sodium benzoate salt to the bath liquor at a concentration of 5% to 60% by weight of the bath liquor,
• (c) lowering pH of the bath liquor to a pH of 3.6 or less thereby converting the sodium benzoate salt to benzoic acid in a resulting treatment bath liquor, and
• (d) applying, by a padding or exhaustion method at a temperature ranging from 120° C. to 150° C., the treatment bath liquor of step (c) to a textile material thereby introducing and embedding the benzoic acid into inner amorphous regions of the textile material thereby forming a treated textile material having the benzoic acid on and within the treated textile material that exhibits prolonged odor reduction and bacterial control.