Overview
EN ISO 4484-3:2023 (ISO 4484-3:2023) defines a laboratory method to measure the mass of material - including microplastics and fibre fragments - released from textile end products during a domestic washing cycle. The method collects discharged material from the outlet hose of a standard washing machine (as described in ISO 6330) and determines the collected material mass. The standard applies to finished consumer and home textiles (e.g., fleece garments, shirts, trousers, blankets, rugs, curtains) made of natural, man‑made or mixed fibres that can be washed domestically. It is not applicable to fabrics and cut textile products and does not test washing machines or detergents.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and applicability: Measurement of mass of materials released from textile end products during domestic washing; excludes fabrics/cut pieces.
- Test principle: Collect discharged solids from washing machine outlet via a specified filter system and determine dry mass of collected material.
- Reference machines and conditions: Uses the standard domestic washing machine setup specified in ISO 6330; washing conditions indicated by care labelling per ISO 3758.
- Apparatus and filter system: Filter fabric specifications and filter bag construction are provided (informative annexes) to ensure standardized capture of discharged material.
- Specimen preparation and atmosphere: Conditioning under standard atmosphere (ISO 139) and defined test atmospheres for washing.
- Test procedure essentials:
- Pre‑cleaning (empty cycle) requirements to avoid contamination.
- Washing test, recovery of collected material from filter bag, drying and mass measurement.
- Calculation of results for each run and averaging across three test runs.
- Quality: Includes guidance on repeatability and reproducibility and required information for the test report.
- Supporting annexes: Machine requirements, empty cycle recommendations, reference detergent, multi‑cycle testing, interlaboratory trial data, and filter aperture guidance.
Applications and who uses it
- Textile manufacturers and product developers - quantify shedding during laundering to design lower‑shedding garments and home textiles.
- Independent testing laboratories - generate comparable, validated mass‑based data on textile release.
- Regulators and environmental agencies - support microplastic monitoring and policy development for textile sources.
- Sustainability teams and ecolabel bodies - use standardized measurements for claims, ecolabel criteria, and product improvement.
- Researchers - compare shedding across fibre types, constructions and care conditions.
Related standards
- ISO 4484-2 - identification and quantification of components in collected materials.
- ISO 6330 - domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing.
- ISO 3758 - care labelling code (washing conditions).
- ISO 139, ISO 3696 - atmosphere conditioning and laboratory water quality.
Keywords: ISO 4484-3, EN ISO 4484-3:2023, microplastics from textiles, domestic washing method, collected material mass, textile shedding, ISO 6330, care labelling.