Test method
ASTM E3162 laundering durability for antimicrobial textiles
ASTM E3162 is not an antibacterial test. It is the washing step that comes before one: a treated fabric is laundered in a Launder-Ometer under the standard's conditions, for the number of cycles your claim needs, and a microbiological method such as AATCC 100 is then run on the laundered specimen. It answers the question a buyer actually asks — does the finish survive washing?
- What it is
- A laundering stepNot an antibacterial test on its own
- Wash cycles
- Set by your claimFrom your label wording or your buyer's specification
- Followed by
- Usually AATCC 100JIS L 1902 for a Japanese buyer
- Asked for by
- Retailers, brand technical teams, auditorsWhen someone asks whether the finish lasts
- Turnaround
- 14–30 daysDate confirmed before you ship
The pairing in four steps
Drawn as a schematic, not photographed at our bench. The drawings show the sequence; the conditions are the standard's.
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Treated fabric, control if possible
The treated fabric and, where possible, the same fabric untreated as a control.
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Launder
The specimens are laundered for the number of cycles your claim needs, then rinsed, dried and conditioned.
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The antibacterial test
The laundered specimens go into the microbiological test, usually AATCC 100, exactly as an unwashed specimen would.
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One report
One report covers both steps: the laundering, and the result after it against the untreated control.
Solid green outline: treated. Dashed gray outline: untreated control. Green dots: the organisms.
What the test involves
Specimens are laundered in a Launder-Ometer to the conditions the standard sets, which compress repeated home washing into a shorter accelerated cycle. They are rinsed, dried and conditioned, and then go straight to the microbiological test. E3162 is run in conjunction with that test, never on its own — by itself it produces a washed piece of fabric and no result.
The cycle count is yours, not ours: it comes from the claim you are making. A finish sold as surviving thirty home washes is laundered thirty times, then tested. Tell us the wording on the label or in the buyer's specification and we will set the count from it.
Most customers run ASTM E3162 and then AATCC 100 on the same specimen. That pairing is what turns "this fabric is antibacterial" into "this fabric is still antibacterial after thirty washes", and the second sentence is the one a brand's technical team accepts. For a Japanese buyer the same pairing runs with JIS L 1902 instead.
We run ASTM E3162 in our BSL-2 laboratory in Bandung, certified annually by the International Antimicrobial Council (USA) and participating in AATCC's PTP4 antibacterial proficiency program.
What you receive
- One report covering both steps: the laundering conditions and the number of cycles run
- The antibacterial result measured after laundering, per organism, against the untreated control
- A certificate your customers, auditors, and procurement teams can verify
Common questions
Why would I need this?
Because somebody asked whether the finish lasts. A retailer, a brand's technical team or an auditor will accept that a fabric is antibacterial when it leaves the mill; what they want to know is whether it still is after the garment has been washed. An antibacterial result on an unwashed specimen does not answer that, and a durability claim made without this step is a claim with nothing behind it.
How many wash cycles do you run?
As many as the claim needs. The count is set by what you intend to put on the label or by the specification your buyer sent, not by us — thirty home-laundering cycles is a common choice, but so are lower and higher counts. Send us the wording and we will confirm the count in writing before anything ships.
Which test comes after the laundering?
Usually AATCC 100, which is what US apparel brands name, or JIS L 1902 for a Japanese buyer. The laundered specimens go into that method exactly as an unwashed specimen would, so the two results are directly comparable and the report states both.
What samples do I send?
The treated fabric and, where possible, the same fabric untreated as a control. Because the specimens are consumed by the laundering as well as by the microbiology, this method needs more material than a single antibacterial test — we'll confirm sizes and quantities when you book.
How long does it take?
14–30 days, depending on the method and the current queue in the lab. We confirm the date when we accept the sample, before you ship anything.
Related methods
Not sure which one your buyer wants? Send us the specification and we will read it with you before any sample ships.
Test whether your finish survives washing
Tell us the wash claim you need to support. We'll set the cycle count from it and confirm which antibacterial method runs afterwards.