Abstract
The paper gives a comprehensive review of antimicrobial finishing of textiles using natural products such as chitosan, natural dyes and other herbal products. The research work on antibacterial finishing of cotton textiles using the active ingredients of neem seed extract, a natural herbal product, is also presented. Neem tree, abundantly found in Indian subcontinent, is a rich source of medicinal compounds. Neem seed extract has been successfully integrated to the cellulosic substrate imparting a semi-durable antibacterial property against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.