EN ISO 15797 – industrial laundering of workwear (details)

EN ISO 15797 defines the test procedures used to check textiles and finished workwear items for suitability for industrial laundering in commercial laundries. The standard applies whenever a workwear maker must guarantee its customers that overalls, tunics, coats, hi-vis trousers or safety jackets will remain standard-compliant, colour-fast and dimensionally stable after hundreds of wash cycles at high temperatures and in large tunnel finishers.

The standard defines eight wash procedures (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H) with different temperatures (60 °C, 75 °C, 85 °C), mechanical loads (gentle/normal/hard) and chemistries (with/without bleach, with/without optical brighteners), and five drying procedures (tumbler at various temperatures, tunnel finisher, form finisher, press/line drying). After testing, samples are assessed for dimensional change, colour deviation (Delta E), seam appearance, coating damage and general appearance. Workwear marked “suitable for industrial laundering to EN ISO 15797” typically withstands 50–70 industrial cycles from providers such as Mewa, CWS, Bardusch or Elis before wear or shape loss becomes standard-relevant.

• Scope: workwear for commercial laundries
• 8 wash procedures: A–H, temperatures 60/75/85 °C, variable chemistry
• 5 drying methods: tumbler, tunnel finisher, form finisher, press, line
• Assessment: dimensional change, Delta E, seam quality, coating, appearance