Color Fastness to Laundering Test

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Last Updated on 05/02/2021

Purpose and Scope of Color Fastness to Laundering:

Colorfastness is the property of a dye or print that enables it to retain its depth and shade through the wear life of a product. The color of a textile product can be influenced by, among other things, wear and use, cleaning, exposure to sunlight, bleaching agents, perspiration and so on. Consumers launder their fabric at some time in the lifespan of the textile.

Change of color or staining of another garment during laundering is generally immediately evident to the consumer and has a high impact on consumer satisfaction. The purpose of test method for color fastness to laundering is to evaluate the degree of color loss after repeated home launderings and staining of other items in a wash load.

It is AATCC Test Method 61-2010. But it is updated at January 2020, AATCC 61, 2020 Edition – Test Method for Colorfastness to Laundering: Accelerated. These accelerated laundering tests are to evaluate the colourfastness to laundering of textiles which are expected to withstand frequent laundering. The fabric color loss and surface changes resulting from detergent solution and abrasive action of five typical hand or home launderings, with or without chlorine.  The fabric color loss and surface changes resulting from detergent solution and abrasive action of six typical hands by on 45 minutes test, (Time will be according to the buyer’s requirement.)

But agitation time of a laundering test can significantly affect the test results. Short test times limit the dissolution of unfixed or poorly fixed dye into the liquid or onto the adjacent fabric. The dye has more time to escape from the fiber and to migrate onto the adjacent fabric in longer tests. Longer test times can allow the dye to deposit on and migrate into the fibers of adjacent fabrics following a mechanism similar to dyeing, leading to an increase in the level of staining.

In this article I will follow AATCC Test Method 61-2010: color fastness to laundering which is partially equivalent to ISO 105-C06 : 2010 Textiles – Tests for colour fastness – Part C06: Color fastness to domestic and commercial laundering.

Launder-Ometer
Fig: Launder-Ometer

Apparatus and Material:

  1. Launder-Ometer or similar apparatus for rating closed containers in a thermostatically controlled water bath at 40 + 2 rpm
  2. Stainless steel containers.
  3. Adopter plates for holding containers on Launder-Ometer shaft.
  4. Stainless steel balls.
  5. Grey scale. (For staining and color change)
  6. Teflon gaskets. (For container lids)
  7. Multi fiber. (Silk, Cotton, Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic and Wool)
  8. Standard detergent.
  9. Distilled water.
  10. Test specimen. (2×6)
  11. Beaker. (For solution)
  12. Stick. (For shake the solution)
  13. Hot plate.

Laundering Test Procedure:

  1. Take distilled water. (One liter)
  2. Temperature of water (80°C – 90°C)
  3. Put the two grams detergent (According to buyer’s requirement. Consult with manual) and shake till five minutes.
  4. Let it cool at 40°C – 45°C. (Solution is prepared)
  5. Solution should be fresh.
  6. Take the fabric swatch (2×6) and make sandwich taking multi fiber between them. Make sure the wool should be at the top.
  7. Put only one staple at the top.
  8. Take the temperature of launder-O-meter at 49°C.
  9. Put 50 steel balls, 150 ml solution and swatch in container. Ensure that the containers are tight and balanced. You may use dummy load as well.
  10. Set the time at 45 minutes. (According to the buyer’s requirement. Consult with manual)
  11. After the completion of the test, wash the swatch with cold water properly.
  12. Tested specimens to condition at room temperature 65 + 2% relative humidity and 21°C + 1°C for one hour or until drying before evaluating.

Evaluation:

  1. Access the staining of multi fiber on cotton, polyester, and nylon using AATCC 10 point Grey scale for staining.
  2. Access the color change of the tested sample using AATCC Grey scale for color change.

Report:

  1. 3 or better for color staining. (According to the buyer’s standard.)
  2. 4 or better for color change. (According to the buyer’s standard.)

References:

  1. Manual of Divine Fabrics Ltd
  2. https://www.aatcc.org
  3. https://www.slideshare.net
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com
  5. Fabric testing Edited by Jinlian HU

You may also like:

  1. How to Determine Color Fastness to Wash
  2. Light Fastness of Textiles: Factors Affecting and Control Measures
  3. Typical Preparatory Process of Dyeing
  4. Perception of Color and Its Importance in Textiles

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