A textile, comprising: a substrate having a first surface; a coating applied to the first surface of the substrate, wherein the coating is effective to reduce or prevent adhesion of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa bacteria to the substrate without actively killing the S. aureus or P. aeruginosa bacteria; wherein the coating has a thickness Tc measured, via ellipsometry, between an innermost surface of the coating adjacent the surface of the substrate and an outermost surface of the coating distal the substrate, wherein the thickness Tc is less than 1.0 micron, wherein the substrate has a weight Ws and the coating has a weight Wc, wherein the weight Wc divided by the weight Ws is less than 0.05; wherein the coating comprises: a plurality of bilayers positioned one on top of the other, wherein the plurality of bilayers comprises at least four bilayers, wherein each bilayer has a thickness Tb from 1 nm to 100 nm, and wherein each bilayer includes a first layer comprising a cationic polymer and a second layer comprising an anionic polymer, wherein the cationic polymer in the first layer comprises a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), a poly(allyl amine) (PAAm), or a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA), and wherein the anionic polymer in the second layer comprises a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(styrene sulfonate), a poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), a poly(sodium phosphate), or a poly(vinyl sulfate); or wherein the cationic polymer in the first layer comprises a polyethyleneimine, a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), a poly(allyl amine) (PAAm), a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA), or a chitosan, and wherein the anionic polymer in the second layer comprises a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), a poly(sodium phosphate), or a poly(vinyl sulfate). a substrate having a first surface; a coating applied to the first surface of the substrate, wherein the coating is effective to reduce or prevent adhesion of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa bacteria to the substrate without actively killing the S. aureus or P. aeruginosa bacteria; wherein the coating has a thickness Tc measured, via ellipsometry, between an innermost surface of the coating adjacent the surface of the substrate and an outermost surface of the coating distal the substrate, wherein the thickness Tc is less than 1.0 micron, wherein the substrate has a weight Ws and the coating has a weight Wc, wherein the weight Wc divided by the weight Ws is less than 0.05; wherein the coating comprises: a plurality of bilayers positioned one on top of the other, wherein the plurality of bilayers comprises at least four bilayers, wherein each bilayer has a thickness Tb from 1 nm to 100 nm, and wherein each bilayer includes a first layer comprising a cationic polymer and a second layer comprising an anionic polymer, wherein the cationic polymer in the first layer comprises a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), a poly(allyl amine) (PAAm), or a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA), and wherein the anionic polymer in the second layer comprises a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(styrene sulfonate), a poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), a poly(sodium phosphate), or a poly(vinyl sulfate); or wherein the cationic polymer in the first layer comprises a polyethyleneimine, a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), a poly(allyl amine) (PAAm), a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA), or a chitosan, and wherein the anionic polymer in the second layer comprises a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), a poly(sodium phosphate), or a poly(vinyl sulfate). a plurality of bilayers positioned one on top of the other, wherein the plurality of bilayers comprises at least four bilayers, wherein each bilayer has a thickness Tb from 1 nm to 100 nm, and wherein each bilayer includes a first layer comprising a cationic polymer and a second layer comprising an anionic polymer, wherein the cationic polymer in the first layer comprises a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), a poly(allyl amine) (PAAm), or a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA), and wherein the anionic polymer in the second layer comprises a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(styrene sulfonate), a poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), a poly(sodium phosphate), or a poly(vinyl sulfate); or wherein the cationic polymer in the first layer comprises a polyethyleneimine, a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), a poly(allyl amine) (PAAm), a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA), or a chitosan, and wherein the anionic polymer in the second layer comprises a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), a poly(sodium phosphate), or a poly(vinyl sulfate).