Preparing Clothing for Laboratory Testing: A Checklist

Samples: what exactly do you provide?

The laboratory assesses actual clothing samples, and those samples are the basis for the test protocol results.

• Prepare 1 to 2 units of each model, t-shirts, dresses, trousers.
• Samples must be fully finished and ready for sale: with seams, fittings, labels and trims.
• Use items that have not been worn or washed, taken directly from production or a finished batch.

If you want several models on one certificate, a t-shirt and a long-sleeve, say, discuss it with the certification body in advance. You may need to provide the highest-risk model: the one with the most complex fabric or design.

Composition: the facts must match the declaration

Discrepancies between declared and actual composition are one of the most common reasons certification fails. To avoid it:

• Verify the exact fibre content percentages, 95% cotton, 5% elastane
• Specify raw material names according to GOST, which the documentation depends on
• Account not only for the main fabric but for lining, trims, threads and fittings

Even 3 to 5% synthetic fibre can change which tests are required, or which regulation applies. A preliminary check is cheaper than redoing the process.

Labelling: what must every item carry?

Every item must carry:

• Product name, “Women’s summer trousers”
• Exact material composition
• Size labelling
• Care symbols and text
• Country of origin
• Manufacturer or importer name
• The EAC mark, where the product falls under TR CU regulations

Labelling must always be in the Union’s working language, including for imported products. Violations here lead to outright rejection rather than a request for correction.

Documentation and packaging

Easy to underrate, and inspected, especially for imported goods:

• Packaging that is safe, sealed and free from toxic substances
• A product passport or user manual, where the regulation requires one
• The contract with the manufacturer, shipping documents, invoice and delivery notes, particularly for international imports

A single missing document can mean certification denial or testing delay.

The principle behind the checklist

Everything above is decided before the parcel is sealed. The laboratory does not correct a sample, complete a label or infer a composition. It tests what arrives against what was declared, and any gap between the two counts as a failure.

Sources

• TR CU 017/2011, On the safety of light industry products, Eurasian Economic Commission
• TR CU 007/2011, On the safety of products intended for children and adolescents
• GOST standards for raw material naming and textile test methods