A method for covering an open wound by contacting the wound with a cellulosic bandage having a calculated amount of PHMB applied to the bandage. The cellulosic bandage can be prepared by providing at least one rolled beam of cellulosic material (12) onto a perforated drum (14), inserting the beam of material into an enclosed vessel (10), adding PHMB into the vessel, and circulating the PHMB for a predetermined period of time.