Overview
EN ISO 105-C12:2024 - “Textiles - Tests for colour fastness - Part C12: Colour fastness to industrial laundering” is the ISO/CEN method for assessing how textile colours resist the conditions of industrial laundering. Published February 2024 and adopted by CEN, this second edition supersedes the 2006 version. The standard covers test conditions, reagents, apparatus and reporting for textiles exposed to full-scale industrial washing processes (distinct from domestic-wash methods).
Key topics
- Scope: Methods for determining resistance of colour for textiles of all kinds when exposed to industrial laundering procedures.
- Test principle: Textile specimens, in contact with specified adjacent fabrics, are laundered, rinsed and dried under controlled temperature, alkalinity, bleaching and mechanical action; mechanical action is simulated using steel balls.
- Temperature conditions: Defined test conditions include one at (92 ± 2) °C (for some workwear) and three at (75 ± 2) °C (typical for bed/table linen and corporate wear).
- Bleaching options: Tests may be run
- without peroxy bleach,
- with hydrogen peroxide, or
- with sodium perborate (or sodium percarbonate) + TAED to generate peracetic acid in situ.
- Reagents & materials: Includes specifications for detergents (Annex A is normative and gives nominal detergent composition), adjacent fabrics (multifibre or single-fibre as per ISO 105-A01), and laboratory water quality (ISO 3696).
- Assessment methods: Uses ISO grey scales and instrumental methods (ISO 105-A01, A02–A05 and relevant F-parts) to evaluate colour change and staining of adjacent fabrics.
- Reporting: Test report requirements and conditions for specimen preparation, conditioning (ISO 139), and rinsing are specified.
- Limitations: The method may not reproduce effects of certain dye-fixing agents or finishes after multiple (5–10) industrial washes and does not address optical brighteners.
Applications
Who uses EN ISO 105-C12:2024?
- Textile and garment manufacturers verifying colour durability in industrial laundering (workwear, hotel/linen suppliers, healthcare textiles).
- Independent testing laboratories performing colour fastness certification.
- Industrial laundry operators and specifiers who need validated test data for procurement and quality control.
- Product developers evaluating dye selection, finishes or trimming compatibility with industrial wash processes.
Practical value: the standard provides repeatable, comparable test conditions to assess colour change and staining risk, supporting product specifications, claims, and acceptance criteria for industrial laundering performance.
Related standards
- ISO 105-A01, A02, A03, A04, A05 (colour fastness general principles and assessment)
- ISO 105-C06, C08, C10 (domestic washing comparisons)
- ISO 105-F02, F04, F10 (adjacent fabric specifications)
- ISO 139 (conditioning) and ISO 3696 (water for analytical use)
Keywords: EN ISO 105-C12:2024, colour fastness to industrial laundering, textiles testing, industrial laundering test, colour fastness standard.
