FAQ | Washing resistance

Shielding fabrics loose their attenuation during washing and in case of movement. As there is still considerable misinformation on this, we publish here our 9th washing test (August 2016).

Washing

We have washed all known fabrics on the market 50 times at 30°C. We did the test on two washing machines parallel (Bosch and Samsung) and averaged the results. We used our special detergent TEXCARE.

Measuring method

We opted for the standard ASTM D4935-10. This method provides a radial measurement (in all polarisation directions) which is most close to reality! In addition, the frequency range from 30 MHz to 18 GHz can be measured in a single step with the two coaxial TEM measuring heads. The orange bar stands for the attenuation before washing. The numbers to the left indicate the attenuation in dB at 1 GHz. Each further bar stands for 10 wash cycles.

Result at 30°C

Conclusion

The good washing results of all our fabrics at 30°C are related to the fact, that we have removed all unstable fabrics from our product range over the years. The results with competitive fabrics (not in the diagram) are partly much worse. For 60°C washing temperature we have 3 fabrics in our product range: Steel-Twin, Steel-Gray and Silver-Silk.

Washing tips

• Washing detergent: In previous washing tests we tested different kinds of detergents (cheap, ecological, liquid, powder, etc.). Due to this detergent tests we only can recommend our own washing detergent TEXCARE, which is the only one to preserves all fabrics best!
• Drying: The best way is to simply hang up the washing for drying. High temperatures in a dryer will destroy the fabrics. If you choose to use a dryer, you will have to keep the temperature low.
• Ironing: It will be best to not iron the fabrics. If you must iron the fabric, as e.g. for Naturell which is wrinkling very much, always iron at low temperature, at degree 1, with less steam.