BS ISO 23232:2009

This International Standard provides a guide for aqueous stain resistance. It can provide a rough index of aqueous stain resistance as, generally, the higher the aqueous liquid repellency grade, the better the resistance to staining by water/alcohol-based materials, especially water/alcohol-based liquids. This is particularly true when comparing various finishes for a given substrate. This International Standard can also be utilized for determining if washing and/or dry-cleaning treatments have any adverse effects on the aqueous liquid repellency characteristics of a substrate. It is recommended that the washing and/or dry-cleaning treatment procedures described in ISO 6330 or ISO 3175 be used for this purpose.

This International Standard is not intended to give an absolute measure of the resistance of the substrate to staining by water/alcohol-based substances. Other factors, such as the composition and viscosity of the water/alcohol-based substances, substrate construction, fibre type, dyes and other finishing agents also influence stain resistance.

This International Standard is not intended to estimate the resistance to penetration of the substrate by water/alcohol-based chemicals; for this evaluation, see ISO 6530.