The present invention relates to the antimicrobial mixture comprising or consisting of: (a) one, two or more tropolone derivatives of the formula (1) ##STR00001## wherein the substituents R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 independently of one another have the following meaning: H; linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having up to 30 C atoms; OH; OR.sup.6, wherein R.sup.6 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having up to 30 C atoms; COOH; COOR.sup.7, wherein R.sup.7 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having up to 30 C atoms; NO.sub.2, NH.sub.2, F, Cl, Br or I or salts or solvates thereof and (b) one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of: chlorphenesin, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, ethylhexylglycerin, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate and polyaminopropyl biguanide or salts or solvates thereof.