Over 95 new fabric developments, each one tested in the lab, rubbing fastness was tested 69 times and failed 10 times, every time on wet rubbing. Here are the cases fabric by fabric: how each was knitted, dyed and finished, what the lab found, and the cause and remedy.
About this series. These findings come from 95 development batches: new and uncommon knit fabrics such as design rib, Lycra interlock, diagonal fleece, yarn-dyed jersey and three-thread fleece. Each batch was knitted, dyed and finished as a development sample, then tested by an accredited lab to the buyer’s standard. When a test failed, we found the actual cause on the floor and changed the next batch until it passed.
At a glance
10 of 69Reports failed rubbing
10 of 10Failed on wet rubbing
0Dry rubbing fails
13 / 10Wet 2-3 passed / failed (depends on the buyer)
How the lab tests rubbing fastness
Rubbing (crocking) fastness shows how much colour comes off the fabric onto another surface by rubbing. Most of our reports used ISO 105-X12; a few used AATCC 8. The fabric is held flat on the test machine and a small square of white cotton rubbing cloth, fixed over a rounded finger, is rubbed back and forth across it ten times under a set load. This is done twice: once with a dry cloth and once with a cloth wetted with water and squeezed to a set moisture.
The staining on the white cloth is compared with the grey scale for staining, from 5 (no staining) to 1 (heavy staining), in half grades. Dry rubbing almost always grades higher than wet, because water helps loose dye move from the fabric to the cloth.
The minimums buyers set
Most buyers ask for dry 4. For wet rubbing the minimum varies: 39 of our 69 reports accepted wet 2-3 or lower, and 30 asked for wet 3 or more. That difference decides most of the results: the same wet grade 2-3 passed 13 times and failed 10 times, depending only on the buyer’s minimum.
Shade depth decides wet rubbing
20 of 31 black and dark shades graded 2-3 or lower on wet rubbing, against 2 of 27 light, yarn-dyed and mélange shades. A deep reactive shade carries more dye on the fibre surface and more unfixed dye to wash out, so it reaches wet 2-3 easily. Dry rubbing did not fail once.
| Wet grade | Buyer minimum | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3 | 2-3 or lower | Pass (13 reports) |
| 2-3 or lower | 3 or higher | Fail (10 reports) |
How we get wet rubbing to 3
Wet 2-3 on a deep shade is normal and is reached with the standard wash-off. Wet 3 is tough, and needs a longer wash-off with a check before the batch is unloaded. This is the process we use for cotton.
Standard wash-off (wet 2 to 2-3)
- After the dye bath is dropped, give one hot wash at 70–80°C for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Rinse: either a 10-minute overflow rinse, or three block washes (fill, run 5 minutes, drain; three times).
- Neutralise with acid.
- Soap, then wash clear and unload.
Longer wash-off (wet 3)
- Soap at 80°C, drain, then wash for 10 minutes.
- Soap again at 80°C, then wash and drain.
- Hot wash at 70°C for 5 minutes and drain; hot wash again at 60°C for 5 minutes and drain, until the water is completely clear.
- Bleed check: wash a sample from the batch in a pot and see whether the water takes colour, and wash it together with a piece of white fabric to see whether the white is stained.
- If everything is clear, apply the fixing agent, then wash clear.
- As the last bath, after all the soaping and hot washes, apply a wet rubbing fastness improver.
- Check the pieces, and unload only when they pass.
Followed this way, wet 3 is achievable every time on cotton; with the wet rubbing improver it often reaches 3-4.
Polyester and polyester blends
For 100% polyester, reduction clear twice and wash clear. For two-part dyeing (polyester with cotton, viscose or lyocell), one reduction clear is enough for wet 2-3; for wet 3, reduction clear twice, then dye the cotton part and give it the longer wash-off above.
Finishing temperature matters as much as the wash-off. Fabric with polyester in it must be dried and finished at 100–110°C on the stenter and compactor. Above that, the disperse dye bleeds back to the fibre surface and wet rubbing fails, however well it was washed.
A clean greige surface also helps: the cleaner the fabric surface, the better the wet rubbing.
How to read each case
Each case shows the fabric as it was knitted, the route it took through dyeing and finishing, the dry and wet rubbing grades against the buyer’s minimum, and the cause and remedy. In the chart, the bar is the grade the lab gave and the dark line is the buyer’s minimum.
Single jersey: 1 case
Single jersey is dyed as a tube turned inside out unless it is heat set or singed; then it is slit, processed open width and back sewn before dyeing.
Case 1: Yarn-dyed single jersey, 280 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 26/2 ply cotton yarn-dyed
- Fibre: 100% Cotton
- Stitch length: 37
- Machine: 34″ × 16G
- Required: 155 cm, 280 GSM
- Finished: 170 cm, 258 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Slitting → Singeing → Back sewing → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 4, width 3
- Shade group: Yarn-dyed and mélange
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: Shrinkage, Light fastness, GSM.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Cause: The yarn was dyed before knitting, so the wash-off happened at the yarn dyeing stage, not in our machine.
Remedy: Ask the yarn dyer for the same longer wash-off and a wet rubbing check on the dyed yarn, and give the knitted fabric a hot wash and soaping in finishing.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Rib: 4 cases
Rib is a stable double knit. It is heat set only when heavy, tight, Lycra body rib or a design rib that needs its width fixed.
Case 2: Design rib, 260 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 30/1 organic cotton + 30/1 organic cotton 2 ply
- Fibre: 100% Cotton
- Stitch length: 33+24+20.5
- Machine: 48″ × 16G
- Required: 170-180 cm, 260 GSM
- Finished: 180 cm, — GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Slitting → Singeing → Back sewing → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 3-4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: none.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a deep shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Case 3: Design rib, 300 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 34/1 combed + 26/2 ply combed
- Fibre: 100% Cotton
- Stitch length: 34.5+22.5+32.5
- Machine: 38″ × 18G
- Required: 190 cm, 300 GSM
- Finished: 183 cm, 283 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 3-4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: none.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a deep shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Case 4: Design rib, 300 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 34/1 combed + 26/2 ply combed
- Fibre: 100% Cotton
- Stitch length: 34.5+22.5+32.5
- Machine: 38″ × 18G
- Required: 190 cm, 300 GSM
- Finished: 185 cm, 273 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 3-4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: none.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a deep shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Case 5: Design rib, 320 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 30/1 combed + 24/2 ply combed
- Fibre: 100% Cotton
- Stitch length: 34.5+32.5+22.5
- Machine: 38″ × 18G
- Required: 190 cm, 320 GSM
- Finished: 183 cm, — GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 3-4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: Shrinkage.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a deep shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Interlock: 2 cases
Interlock is a stable double knit; Lycra interlock is always heat set to fix the stretch and width.
Case 6: Lycra interlock, 280 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 40/1 cotton + 20D Lycra dyeable
- Fibre: 95% Cotton 5% Elastane
- Stitch length: 29.5
- Machine: 38″ × 24G
- Required: 190 cm, 280 GSM
- Finished: 169 cm, 265 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Slitting → Heat setting → Back sewing → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
- Shade depth: 9%
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: Shrinkage, Water fastness, Perspiration fastness.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a 9% shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Cause: Other wet fastness tests failed in the same report, which confirms loose dye left in the fabric.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Case 7: Lycra interlock, 230 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 40/1 organic cotton + 30D Lycra
- Fibre: 94% Cotton 6% Elastane
- Stitch length: 28.5
- Machine: 34″ × 24G
- Required: 170 cm, 230 GSM
- Finished: 175 cm, 220 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Slitting → Heat setting → Back sewing → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 3-4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: none.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a deep shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Fleece: 3 cases
Fleece is dyed loop side inside; fleece of 350 GSM and up is heat set before dyeing.
Case 8: Fleece, 330 GSM, wet 2 against 2-3
- Yarn: 30/1 combed + 26/1 CVC 60/40 + 8/1 carded
- Fibre: 80% Cotton 20% Polyester
- Stitch length: 47.5+39.5+20
- Machine: 30″ × 16G
- Required: 165 cm, 330 GSM
- Finished: 170 cm, 332 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4
- Wet rubbing: 2
- Minimum dry / wet: length 4, width 2-3
- Shade group: Black and dark
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: Wash fastness, Pilling, GSM.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2 against a minimum of 2-3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a deep shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: The fabric contains polyester. Disperse dye left on the polyester surface rubs off too, and it comes back to the surface if the fabric is dried too hot.
Cause: Other wet fastness tests failed in the same report, which confirms loose dye left in the fabric.
Remedy: Reduction clear the polyester part twice before the cotton part is dyed (once is enough only for wet 2-3).
Remedy: Finish on the stenter and compactor at 100–110°C. Any hotter and the disperse dye bleeds back to the surface, and wet rubbing fails whatever wash-off was given.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Case 9: Fleece, 300 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 32/1 combed + 75D polyester + 12/1 CVC 60/40
- Fibre: 70% Cotton 30% Polyester
- Stitch length: 45.5+29+15.5
- Machine: 30″ × 20G
- Required: 145 cm, 300 GSM
- Finished: 150 cm, 265 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
- Shade depth: 10%
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: GSM.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a 10% shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Cause: The fabric contains polyester. Disperse dye left on the polyester surface rubs off too, and it comes back to the surface if the fabric is dried too hot.
Remedy: Reduction clear the polyester part twice before the cotton part is dyed (once is enough only for wet 2-3).
Remedy: Finish on the stenter and compactor at 100–110°C. Any hotter and the disperse dye bleeds back to the surface, and wet rubbing fails whatever wash-off was given.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
Case 10: (diagonal) fleece, 320 GSM, wet 2-3 against 3
- Yarn: 34/1 combed + 26/1 combed
- Fibre: 85% Cotton 15% Polyester
- Stitch length: 46.5+38.5+20
- Machine: 30″ × 16G
- Required: 160 cm, 320 GSM
- Finished: 153 cm, 310 GSM
Lab test: ISO 105-X12, dry and wet, as received
Route: Greige → Dyeing → Stenter → Compacting
Results
- Dry rubbing: 4-5
- Wet rubbing: 2-3
- Minimum dry / wet: length 4, width 3
- Shade group: Black and dark
- Shade depth: 7%
Other tests that failed in the same lab report: Shrinkage, Water fastness.
Cause and remedy
Cause: Dry rubbing was 4-5, well inside the limit; only wet rubbing failed (2-3 against a minimum of 3). That points to loose dye left in the fabric, which a wet cloth lifts.
Cause: This is a 7% shade. Deep black, red, royal blue and turquoise shades are the ones that fail wet rubbing: there is more dye in the fibre and more loose dye to wash out.
Cause: With the normal wash-off (one soaping, then wash clear), a deep shade comes out at wet 2 to 2-3. That is acceptable to most buyers, but this buyer asked for wet 3, which needs a longer wash-off.
Cause: The fabric contains polyester. Disperse dye left on the polyester surface rubs off too, and it comes back to the surface if the fabric is dried too hot.
Cause: Other wet fastness tests failed in the same report, which confirms loose dye left in the fabric.
Remedy: Reduction clear the polyester part twice before the cotton part is dyed (once is enough only for wet 2-3).
Remedy: Finish on the stenter and compactor at 100–110°C. Any hotter and the disperse dye bleeds back to the surface, and wet rubbing fails whatever wash-off was given.
Remedy: Use the wet-3 wash-off: two soapings at 80°C, hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, a bleed check on a sample, fixing and wash clear, then a wet rubbing fastness improver as the last bath before unloading (see “How we get wet rubbing to 3” above).
From the floor: what I learned from these 10 cases
- Wet rubbing fails on our deep shades: black, red, royal blue and turquoise. On these shades wet 2-3 is okay; with normal soaping and wash clear we reach it. Wet 3 is tough.
- Buyers ask for wet 3 mainly on contrast garments, where a black or red panel sits next to a white or light panel in the same garment. Then the dark colour must not stain the light one.
- For wet 3 on cotton we soap twice at 80°C, give two hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, check a sample for bleeding against white fabric, and only then fix and wash clear. After everything, we give a wet rubbing improver and unload. Done this way, wet 3 is 100% achievable, and many times it comes 3-4.
- With polyester in the fabric, reduction clear twice for wet 3, and never finish above 100–110°C. If you dry it hotter, the colour bleeds and wet rubbing fails whatever you did in the dyeing.
Questions
What is a good wet rubbing grade for knit fabric?
Most buyers accept wet 2-3 for dark shades and ask for 3 or more on light and medium shades; some ask for wet 3 on every shade. Dry rubbing is usually expected at 4.
Why does dry rubbing pass when wet rubbing fails?
Water helps loose, unfixed dye move from the fabric onto the rubbing cloth. Dry rubbing only shows dye that comes off by friction.
How do you improve wet rubbing fastness on black?
Soap twice at 80°C after dyeing, give two hot washes at 70°C and 60°C, check a sample for bleeding against white fabric, then fix, wash clear and finish with a wet rubbing fastness improver before unloading. On polyester blends, reduction clear twice and finish at no more than 100–110°C.
Related: dye recipe calculator.
Textile engineer with 14+ years in dyeing and fabric development. He writes every guide on Dyeing Solution from real production work. Full profile