The quality, safety, and performance of apparel must be guaranteed in the competitive world of fashion and textiles. Apparel testing services confirm that products meet required standards and regulations before the release of the products in the marketplace. This article discusses important elements of apparel testing services and highlights relevant international standards for testing various types of textiles and apparel.
Introduction to Apparel Testing
Apparel testing is a term used to refer to a wide range of tests conducted on fabrics and apparels for the verification of properties and the assessment of performance to ensure products are safe for human use, acceptable in terms of regulations, and of quality. This may involve the testing of various factors related to fabric, e.g., strength, color fastness, chemical composition, flammability and odour testing.
Importance of Apparel Testing
- Ensuring Consumer Safety: Safety from hazardous substances and substandard materials.
- Quality Assurances: Maintains the brand image and gives a guarantee that a product is of perfect quality.
- Regulatory Requirements: Ensures tested fabrics meet respective legal requirements—a must for marketing in other countries or regions.
- Increase Product Performance: Conducted testing assures that the apparel is able to meet customers’ requirements and durability.
Key Areas of Apparel Testing
Apparel testing services can be broadly categorised into several key areas, each focusing on different attributes of textiles and garments.
Physical Testing
Physical testing measures the mechanical properties of textiles to ensure that the fabrics are able to resist stress during usage. Areas of physical testing include:
- Tensile Strength: Measures the resistance of a fabric to a force which will tear or break the fabric before it occurs.
- Tear Strength Testing: Determines the force required to tear the fabric along its length or width.
- Abrasion Resistance Testing: Determines the ability of a fabric to withstand the friction associated with a wear process.
Odour testing
Odour is another type of specific testing in textiles dealing with the evaluation of fabrics’ ability to resist or control unpleasant smells caused either by microbial growth or environmental exposure. This is extremely important in products like sportswear, activewear, and regular wear, where odour control is a prime concern to the consumers. Some odour test methods expose the fabric specimens to various odour-producing agents or environments to identify if there is an odour and what its intensity level might be.
Chemical Testing
Chemical testing identifies and quantifies the harmful substances in the textiles, thus ensuring safety for human use. Important tests include:
- Formaldehyde Testing: Detects the presence of formaldehyde, which can cause skin irritation and other health problems.
- pH Value Testing: Determines the acidity or alkalinity of the fabric, which can affect skin comfort.
- Azo Dye Testing: Identifies banned azo dyes that can release carcinogenic amines.
Colorfastness Testing
Colorfastness tests evaluate how well the color of a fabric resists fading. Common colorfastness tests include:
- Colorfastness to Washing: The ability of fabric to resist color fading after several washes
- Colorfastness to Light: The ability of the fabric to resist fading when exposed to light
- Colorfastness to Rubbing: The degree of resistance of fabric to lose its color when rubbed.
Flammability Testing
Flammability testing determines the propensity for the fabric to ignite and burn. It must pass the flammability requirements set forth. Key tests are:
- Vertical Flammability Test: It defines the flammability behavior of fabric in vertical direction.
- Horizontal Flammability Test: It measures the fabric’s burning performance across a horizontally configured fabric.
- 45 Degree Flammability Test: It defines the flame speed on the exposed fabric that is maintained at an angle of 45 degrees.
Performance Testing
Performance tests estimate how well the fabric is capable of meeting certain functional requirements.
- Water Resistance Testing: The level of resistance the fabric exhibits towards water.
- Moisture Management Testing: A test estimating the fabric’s wicking capabilities of pulling moisture away from the skin.
- Thermal Insulation Testing: A test that measures the fabric’s ability to retain heat.
Antimicrobial Testing in Apparel
Antimicrobial testing focuses on the evaluation of the efficacy of textile treatments done to inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and other harmful species. It is further classified into the following:
- Antimicrobial Efficacy Testing: Assesses the effectiveness of textiles in preventing or killing the microorganisms when they come into contact with the fabric material.
- Durability of Antimicrobial Treatment: The aim of an antimicrobial durability test is to evaluate how well the antimicrobial properties of a textile are retained after each use and washing in order to ensure long-term protection and quality of a product.
Importance of Antimicrobial Testing
Antimicrobial testing is important for the following reasons:
- Efficacy: Establishes that the antimicrobial treatments applied to textiles are effective in reducing or eradicating microbial growth.
- Safety: Provides assurance to consumers that antimicrobial agents are safe upon contact and do not cause any adverse effects.
- Regulatory Compliance: Complies with the stipulations in a host of health and safety regulations.
- Product Differentiation: Legitimises the brand of a particular product or service in the marketplace by validating the claims that the product has antimicrobial properties.
International Standards in Apparel Testing
International standards ensure that there is an assurance of uniformity and consistency in apparel testing. Here are a few of the many standards that are deemed fit for the apparel testing industry:
- AATCC 100: A quantitative test method used to determine the antimicrobial effectiveness of treated textile. It determines the number of bacterial populations reduced when a treated textile is tested.
- ISO 20743: Describes the methods to determine the antibacterial properties of treated textiles. A quantitative method measuring the reduction in bacterial growth on textile samples after exposure.
- ASTM E2149: A quantitative in vitro test method designed to measure the reduction of bacterial populations on or in textile articles treated with antimicrobial agents.
- JIS L 1902: This standard specifies a method to assess the effectiveness of antimicrobials on treated textile products. Samples are tested for the reduction of the bacterial population over the textile.
- ISO 17299-3: This gas chromatography (GC) method used to determine the deodorant characteristic of textiles in presence of odour-causing chemicals like indole, isovaleric acid, nonenal, and acetic acid.
At MIS, we specialise in providing thorough microbiology testing services for antimicrobial-treated textile products. With state-of-the-art laboratories and experienced professionals, MIS offers precise testing solutions to ensure compliance with international standards such as ISO, JIS L, ASTM E, and more.
Contact MIS today to secure a reliable partner in your journey towards excellence in textile compliance and consumer satisfaction.
