Perspiration Fastness

What Is Perspiration Fastness?

In the colour fastness to perspiration test, the sample together with the adjacent fabric is soaked in artificial perspiration solution, placed under pressure in a frame, and held at a defined temperature. It is done separately with both acidic and alkaline solutions, since perspiration pH varies from person to person.

Purpose of Perspiration Fastness

The purpose is to assess whether the product changes colour on contact with perspiration and whether it transfers dye to skin or other garments. It is one of the fundamental fastness parameters for skin-contact products.

Which Products Is Perspiration Fastness Applied To?

Sportswear and underwear
Skin-contact ready-to-wear garments
Socks and accessories
Baby and children's clothing
Leather and synthetic leather products

In Which Sectors Is Perspiration Fastness Used?

TextilesReady-to-WearRetailFurniture

Standards Related to Perspiration Fastness

ISO 105-E04 (colour fastness to perspiration)
ISO 105-A02 / A03 (grey scales)
ISO 105-F10 (multifibre adjacent fabric)
AATCC 15 (colour fastness to perspiration)

Perspiration Fastness Conditions

solutions: Acidic and alkaline artificial sweat solutions; separately
Pressure: Pressure defined in the framework of standard perspirometer
Temperature and duration: Standard defined temperature and time in the oven
Assessment: Color change and bleeding into the accompanying fabric; in gray scale

Equipment for Perspiration Fastness

Perspirometer (pressure frame and plates)
Temperature-controlled oven
Artificial perspiration solution preparation setup and pH meter
Multifibre adjacent fabric
Light box and grey scales

Sample Requirements for Perspiration Fastness

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 Perspiration Fastness

The test is generally completed within one to two working days due to the oven dwell time.

Perspiration Fastness Procedure

1The sample is cut and sewn to the adjacent fabric.
2Acidic and alkaline artificial perspiration solutions are prepared.
3Samples are soaked in the solutions and excess liquid removed.
4Samples are placed in the perspirometer and pressure applied.
5The setup is held in the oven at the defined temperature and duration.
6Samples are removed and dried.
7Assessed with the grey scales.

Perspiration Fastness 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 separately for acidic and alkaline conditions, as both colour-change and staining grades. The acceptance grade comes from the buyer's specification; expectations are higher for skin-contact products.

Perspiration Fastness 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 Perspiration Fastness 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 Perspiration Fastness

Why are two different solutions used?

Human perspiration pH can shift towards acidic or alkaline depending on the person and conditions. Since dye behaviour changes with pH, both conditions are tested.

Is there a relationship with light fastness?

These are different mechanisms, but for some dyes, fading accelerates when perspiration and light act together. A combined perspiration-light test is performed separately if the specification requires it.