Water Fastness Test — ISO 105-E01

What Is Water?

The water fastness test is to soak the sample in pure water with its white companion fabric and keep it under pressure at a defined temperature. Color change after wetting and contamination of the accompanying fabric are evaluated on a gray scale.

Purpose of Water

The purpose is to determine whether the product will transfer color if it gets wet other than rain, sweat or is stored in a humid environment.

Which Products Is Water Applied To?

Outerwear and raincoat
Towels and beach textiles
Lining and inner fabrics
upholstery fabrics
Printed textiles

In Which Sectors Is Water Used?

TextilesRetailConsumer Products

Standards Related to Water

TS EN ISO 105-E01 (water fastness)
TS EN ISO 105-E02 (seawater fastness)
TS EN ISO 105-E03 (chlorinated water fastness)
TS EN ISO 105-A02 / -A03 (rating scales)

Water Conditions

Liquid: Pure water (E01); Separate sections are used for sea water and chlorinated water
Pressure: With the weight defined in the standard on the perspirometer device
Dwell: In the oven at the temperature and time defined in the standard

Equipment for Water

Perspirometre
Oven
Standard illuminated evaluation booth and gray scales

Sample Requirements for Water

The sample must be sewn together with the accompanying fabric
A separate specimen for each colour
Pure water should be used; mains water changes the result
Unprocessed reference should be reserved for evaluation

Duration of Water

Wetting, holding under pressure and drying constitute the duration of the experiment; Results are usually available within one business day.

Water Procedure

1The sample and accompanying fabric are prepared and sewn.
2The sample is immersed in pure water for the time defined in the standard.
3Excess water is removed and the sample is placed between plates.
4It is kept in the oven under a defined weight.
5The sample is separated and dried.
6Color change and contamination are evaluated on a gray scale.

Water Acceptance Criteria

The standard defines the measurement method, not the passing score. The acceptance threshold is determined by the customer specification; Most retail chains require higher marks for underwear and light colours. When no specification is given, the report reports only the measured grade.

Evaluation of Results

The result is given as a gray scale score of 1–5: color change is evaluated according to the ISO 105-A02 scale, contamination is evaluated according to the ISO 105-A03 scale. 5 means no change, 1 means the most severe change. Intermediate notes (such as 4-5, 3-4) are used.

Water Report

Sample description and color
Part of the standard applied
Color change note
Contamination note for each fiber in the companion fabric

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

EU 1007/2011 (textile fibre names and labelling)
EU 1907/2006 REACH Annex XVII (restricted substances in textiles)
Regulation on the Naming of Textile Products

Tekstil Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Water test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Textile testing answers two questions separately: does the fabric hold up physically over its service life, and does it carry any substance restricted for human health? These two axes require different laboratory infrastructure and different decision mechanisms.

On the physical side, breaking and tear strength, abrasion resistance, pilling, dimensional change, colour fastness and water and oil repellency are measured. Most of these tests depend on the USE SCENARIO: Martindale abrasion cycles are decisive for an upholstery fabric, while dimensional change in washing and colour fastness come to the fore for a shirting fabric. The same fabric goes through a different test set for a different use.

Colour fastness is a body of work of its own in this field and is not a single test. The fastness of the same fabric to light, washing, rubbing, perspiration, saliva, chlorinated water and ironing is measured separately; each represents a different moment of use. Results are rated from 1 to 5 on the grey scale and the specification gives a separate minimum rating for each agent.

On the chemical side, aromatic amines released from azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals, phthalates, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, alkylphenols and PFAS compounds are screened. These items come from REACH restrictions, brand restricted substance lists (RSL) and voluntary schemes such as OEKO-TEX. Brand lists are often stricter than legislation; the target customer is decisive.

There is NO CE marking on consumer textiles. The obligation has three legs: fibre composition and care labelling, compliance with chemical restrictions, and general product safety. Textiles claiming a protective function (workwear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility clothing) fall under personal protective equipment legislation, where CE is mandatory — this distinction is commercially critical.

Verifying the label declaration is the most routine work in the field. Quantitative fibre analysis confirms the blend ratio stated on the label; tolerance ranges are defined in legislation. An incorrect fibre declaration both misleads the consumer and affects customs classification.

Sustainability claims have added a new body of work to the field in recent years: verification of recycled content (GRS, RCS), organic content (GOTS), restriction of harmful chemicals and water/energy footprint declarations. These claims now require auditable evidence.

Method groups in this field

Strength and durability
Strip and grab breaking strength, tearing by the Elmendorf and tongue methods, seam strength, bursting strength.
Abrasion and surface
Martindale and rotary platform abrasion, pilling and fuzzing, fabric mass and thread density measurements.
Dimensional stability
Dimensional change in washing and drying, wrinkling behaviour, appearance after ironing.
Colour fastness
Fastness to light (xenon), washing, rubbing, perspiration, saliva, water and chlorinated water; rating on the grey scale.
Functional properties
Water repellency (spray test), oil repellency, waterproofness, air permeability, effectiveness of antibacterial finishes, UV protection factor.
Chemical analyses
Aromatic amines from azo dyes, formaldehyde, pH, heavy metals, phthalates, chlorinated phenols, PFAS and alkylphenols.

Commonly confused in this field

A brand restricted substance list (RSL) may be stricter than legislation; REACH compliance does not mean compliance with the customer specification.
Textiles claiming a protective function fall under PPE legislation and require CE; an ordinary textile test report does not satisfy that file.
Colour fastness is not a single number; a rating cannot be interpreted without stating which agent it relates to.
A result obtained for a fabric does not cover the whole garment made from it; lining, sewing thread, print and trims are assessed separately.
Performance claims after washing are valid together with the stated number of wash cycles; the word "permanent" on its own is not verifiable.

Which decisions these results support

Compliance with the brand restricted substance list (RSL)
Verification of label declarations: fibre composition and care instructions
Determining the performance class of upholstery and technical textiles
Pre-import shipment inspection and lot acceptance
Supporting sustainability and recycled content claims

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Water

Is there a separate test for sea water or pool water?

There is. ISO 105-E02 is used for sea water and ISO 105-E03 is used for chlorinated pool water. Pure water results are not enough for swimwear and beach products; Salt and chlorine strain the dye differently.