Color Fastness Rubbing

What Is Color Fastness Rubbing?

In the colour fastness to rubbing test, a standard white cotton cloth (crockmeter cloth) is moved back and forth on the sample surface under a defined load. The amount of dye transferred to the cloth is graded with a grey scale. The test is done separately with dry and wet cloth.

Purpose of Color Fastness Rubbing

The purpose is to assess whether the product transfers dye to skin, undergarments or upholstery during use. It is the most frequent complaint issue for dark-coloured denim and upholstery fabrics.

Which Products Is Color Fastness Rubbing Applied To?

Denim and dark-coloured garments
Upholstery and furniture fabrics
Automotive interior textiles
Carpet and floor textiles
Leather and synthetic leather surfaces

In Which Sectors Is Color Fastness Rubbing Used?

TextilesReady-to-WearRetailFurniture

Standards Related to Color Fastness Rubbing

ISO 105-X12 (colour fastness to rubbing)
ISO 105-A03 (grey scale for assessing staining)
AATCC 8 (colour fastness to crocking by crockmeter method)
ISO 11640 (leather — colour fastness to perspiration and rubbing — related method)

Color Fastness Rubbing Conditions

Deney bezi: Standard white cotton rubbing cloth
Load and stroke: Load, stroke length and number of cycles defined in the standard
Dry/wet: The two conditions apply separately; The moisture content of the wet diaper is defined
Orientation: Rubbing direction is recorded on patterned and pile fabrics

Equipment for Color Fastness Rubbing

Crockmeter (colour fastness to rubbing tester)
Standard rubbing cloths
Light box and grey scale
Analytical balance (wet cloth moisture control)

Sample Requirements for Color Fastness Rubbing

The sample must be taken so as to represent the batch or production run.
Sample description, material type, and production direction if any, must be stated.
The standard to be applied and any customer specification must be provided together with the sample.
The test may be destructive; the required number of samples must be confirmed in advance.
Surfaces that will be tested must be protected during transport.

Duration of Color Fastness Rubbing

The test takes minutes; it is completed within the same working day including drying and assessment.

Color Fastness Rubbing Procedure

1The sample and rubbing cloths are prepared.
2The sample is fixed taut on the instrument's stand.
3The dry cloth is attached to the rubbing head.
4The defined number of cycles is applied.
5For the wet test, the cloth is brought to the defined moisture content and repeated.
6Wet cloths are dried.
7Dye transfer on the cloths is graded with the grey scale.

Color Fastness Rubbing Acceptance Criteria

The method standard defines how the test is performed, not what the result must be. The acceptance limit comes from the material or product standard, the customer specification, or the relevant regulation; this page therefore does not give a numerical limit.

Evaluation of Results

The result is given as separate grades for dry and wet. Wet rubbing values are almost always lower than dry. The acceptance grade comes from the buyer's specification; expectations are generally more lenient for dark colours.

Color Fastness Rubbing Report

Sample description, material/product information, and batch number if any
Sample preparation method and conditioning conditions
Standard and test conditions applied
Instrument used and calibration status
Measurement results and units
Measurement uncertainty (if requested)
A statement that the result applies only to the specimen submitted for testing

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

Harmonised standards applied according to the product family
EU 765/2008 (market surveillance and accreditation framework)
Relevant product regulations and customer specifications

Tekstil Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Color Fastness Rubbing 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 Color Fastness Rubbing

Why does wet rubbing come out worse?

Water loosens the dye molecules' bond with the fibre and carries off unfixed dye on the surface. The two values are therefore reported and assessed separately.

What is done to improve the result?

The adequacy of post-dyeing washing and fixation steps is decisive; unfixed dye remaining on the surface directly lowers rubbing fastness.