Overview
ISO 3175-1:2017 - Textiles: Professional care, drycleaning and wetcleaning - Part 1 defines a standardized method for assessing textile performance after professional cleaning and finishing. It applies to fabric pieces, made-up textiles and garments that have been tested under ISO 3175-2 to ISO 3175-4 (processes using tetrachloroethene, hydrocarbon solvents or simulated wetcleaning). The standard identifies fabric and garment properties that can change on drycleaning or wetcleaning and specifies how to assess those changes using existing international test methods. For important properties lacking standardized methods, Annex A gives normative guidance.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Specimen protocol: At least two identical specimens - one retained as a control and one subjected to the agreed professional cleaning and finishing cycle. Additional specimens are required for retests in milder processes.
- Conditioning: Treated specimens must be conditioned in the standard atmosphere (20 °C, 65% RH) for at least 16 hours (ISO 139) before assessment.
- Assessment principle: Compare treated specimens with the control to determine dimensional, colour and other changes and to judge drycleanability/wetcleanability.
- Referenced assessment methods: The standard points to established ISO test methods for measurement and comparison, including:
- Test report requirements: Reports must reference ISO 3175-1:2017 and include tester ID, date, cross-references to ISO 3175-2/3/4 reports, item description, cleaning/finishing details, number of cycles, assessed properties and methods, comments on non-standard properties, and deviations.
Applications and users
ISO 3175-1 is used by:
- Textile and apparel manufacturers for quality assurance and design validation after professional cleaning
- Independent testing laboratories performing drycleanability and wetcleanability evaluations
- Drycleaning and wetcleaning service providers to verify process compatibility with garments
- Retailers and specifiers assessing product durability claims and care labeling
- R&D and product development teams optimizing finishes and fabric constructions for professional care
Practical benefits include consistent evaluation of dimensional stability, colour change, seam performance, pilling and surface appearance after professional cleaning and finishing.
Related standards
Key related documents: ISO 3175-2, ISO 3175-3, ISO 3175-4 (procedures for specific cleaning media) and normative references listed in Clause 2 (ISO 139, ISO 3759, ISO 105 series, ISO 4920, ISO 7768/7769/7770, ISO 9867, ISO 12947, ISO 16322). These are routinely used together to assess post-cleaning performance.