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AATCC 1993 Standard Reference Powder Detergent WITH Brightener

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AATCC 1993 Standard Reference Powder Detergent WITHOUT Brightener (WOB)

https://members.aatcc.org/store/1993wob/739/

AATCC HE Standard Reference Liquid Detergent RESTOCKED SOON!

Variety Versus Validity

The purpose of “textile testing and analysis is to assess the product properties and predict its performance during use.” (Kiron, 2021) Given the variety of laundry care products and technology, estimating the laundering procedure used by any individual consumer is challenging.

Instead, standard tests and procedures represent an average consumer or even an arbitrary—but consistent—one. Standard procedures representing home laundering include AATCC LP1 Laboratory Procedure for Home Laundering: Machine Washing and LP2 Laboratory Procedure for Home Laundering: Hand Washing. These procedures include detailed specifications for the washing machine and tumble dryer as well as water temperature, load size, and detergent. Adhering to the complete procedure ensures consistent and repeatable results that can be used to qualify new fabrics, compare options, or verify performance.

Detergent companies market a variety of consumer detergents touting new features like “tough on stains;” “brightens whites;” and “fresh, floral scent.” Well-known brands showcase dozens of detergent products, with varying scents, softeners, stain removers, and odor reduction technologies.

While this broad array of new and improved detergents is attractive to consumers, the wide gamut is not much help for standardized testing. Labs don’t have time to test every sample with every detergent (never mind every model of washing machine, with every combination of items, in every temperature of water). When labs evaluate a fabric, they need a detergent that represents an average of what consumers are likely to use. This is where Standard Laundry Detergent comes in.

What is Standard Laundry Detergent?

In the textile industry, standard laundry detergents have been used in some form since the 1960s. AATCC Standard Detergent 124 was one of the first such products. Like most laundry detergents at that time, it contained phosphates—phosphorous-containing compounds that help soften wash water. While phosphates improved the cleaning power of detergent, they can also negatively impact aquatic life when drained into waterways. Starting in the 1970s, phosphates were largely phased out of the industry due to environment concerns and regulations that followed. Current AATCC standard detergents contain no phosphates.

Today, the standard laundry detergents specified for most AATCC test methods is AATCC 1993 Standard Reference Powder Detergent. This powdered detergent was designed to represent an average of the detergents available to consumers. Rather than chasing the variety of features in big brand detergents, AATCC detergents serve their purpose by keeping a consistent formulation. Labs can be confident that their test results are comparable to those from any other lab, in any location, at any time.

AATCC High Efficiency (HE) Standard Reference Liquid Detergent was developed for labs that prefer a liquid formulation or use HE washing machines. This detergent is not yet specified in most test methods but still provides consistency that can’t be achieved with ever-changing consumer detergents. An earlier liquid detergent formula, 2003 Standard Liquid Detergent, was discontinued in 2016, as the AATCC HE detergent can be used in both traditional and HE machines. HE detergent will be back in stock by March 2023.

THREE KEY BENEFITS TO AATCC STANDARD DETERGENT

AATCC Standard Reference Detergents provides:

1) a representative formula,

2) consistent production, and

3) optical brightener options.

Representative Formula

AATCC standard reference detergents are formulated to have the performance of an “average” consumer detergent. This means the results you see in the lab are likely to match the results an end-product consumer sees at home. No false passes from using a high-end detergent in the lab. AATCC detergents are developed by comparing results in dimensional change, color change, color staining, stain release, and general appearance tests to those for the same fabrics laundered with mid-level consumer detergents.

Consistent Production

The recipes for AATCC detergents are the same lot-to-lot. Using standard detergent throughout your supply chain means one less variable to consider when comparing test data. You can count on closely-monitored consistency—every season, in every location. No need to worry about the impact of new formulas, scents, or additives on your results.

Optical Brightener Options

For colorfastness testing, the optical brighteners present in most detergents can interfere with specimen evaluation. AATCC standard reference detergents without optical brightener (WOB) let you assess color change due to the test procedure without the added influence of brighteners. This makes it easier to determine whether a particular dye or process is suitable for your product.

AATCC detergents are also available with brighteners for general appearance evaluations or other tests where it may be important to replicate the end-product consumer’s laundering experience.

Detergent WITH brightener will provide appearance more like what consumers are likely to see at home—most consumer detergents include brighteners. Detergent WITHOUT brightener will allow you to detect issues with dyestuffs because any color change is due to dye loss, not masked by brighteners.