Reference number  
CD xxx: 2019  
© RSB 2019  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
403 
 
First edition  
2019 -mm-dd 
 
Household fabric softeners  — 
Specification  
 
  DRS 403 : 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2019  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be a ddressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
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Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw   
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 403 : 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
5 Packaging an d labelling ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
5.1 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 3 
5.2 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
6 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
 DRS 403 : 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB,  in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards. Final Draft Rwanda Standards adopted 
by Technical committees are ratified  by members of RSB Board of Directors for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 403  was prepared by Technical C ommittee RSB/TC 042, Surface Active Agents . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
KS 1797: Household fabric softeners — Specification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with than ks. 
 
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Surface Active Agents (RSB/TC 
042) in the preparation of this standard.  
University of Rwanda -College of Sciences and Technology  
Trust Industries Ltd  
University of Rwanda – College of Education  
SULFO Industries  
AGROPY Ltd  
MACPELA INVESTMENTS Ltd  
Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 403 : 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Introduction   
A fabric softener (or conditioner/enhancer) is a conditioner that is typically applied to laundry during the rinse 
cycle in a washing machine. In contrast to laundry detergents, fabric softeners may be regarded as a kind of 
after-treatment laundry aid.  
Machine washing puts great mechanical stress on textiles, particularly natural fibers such as cotton and wool. 
The fibers at the fabric surface are squashed and frayed, and this condition hardens while drying the laundry in 
air, giving the laundry a harsh feel. Adding a liquid fabric softener to the final rinse (rinse -cycle softener) results 
in laundry th at feels softer.  
Early cotton softeners were typically based on a water emulsion of soap and olive oil, corn oil, or tallow oil. 
Softening compounds differ in affinity to various fabrics. Some work better on cellulose -based fibers (i.e., 
cotton), others ha ve higher affinity to hydrophobic materials like nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, 
polyacrylonitrile, etc. New silicone -based compounds, such as polydimethylsiloxane, work by lubricating the 
fibers. Manufacturers use derivatives with amine - or amide -conta ining functional groups as well. These groups 
improve the softener’s binding to fabrics.  
As softeners are often hydrophobic, they commonly occur in the form of an emulsion. In the early formulations, 
manufactures used soaps as emulsifiers. The emulsions ar e usually opaque, milky fluids. However, there are 
also micro -emulsions, where the droplets of the hydrophobic phase are substantially smaller. Micro -emulsions 
provide the advantage of increased ability of smaller particles to penetrate into the fibers. Ma nufacturers often 
use a mixture of cationic and non -ionic surfactants as an emulsifier. Another approach is a polymeric network, 
an emulsion polymer.  
In addition to fabric softening chemicals, fabric softeners may include acids or bases to maintain optimal  pH for 
absorption, silicone -based anti -foaming agents emulsion stabilizers, fragrances and colours.   
As with soaps and detergents, fabric softeners may cause irritant dermatitis. Manufacturers produce some fabric 
softeners without dyes and perfumes to red uce the risk of skin irritation. Fabric softener overuse may makes 
clothes more flammable, due to the fat -based nature of most softeners. Some deaths have been attributed to 
this phenomenon, and fabric softener makers recommend not using them on clothes la belled as flame -resistant.  
 CD xxx: 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Household fabric softeners — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Committee Draft specifies r equirements, sampling and test methods for household fabric 
softeners/conditioners/enhancers.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of  their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references, the 
latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS ISO 862, Surface active agents — Vocabulary  
RS ISO  2871 -1, Surface active agents — Detergents — Determination of cationic active matter content — Part 
1: High -molecular -mass cationic active matter  
RS ISO  2871 -1, Surface active agents — Detergents — Determination of cationic active matter co ntent — Part 
2: Cationic active matter of low molecular mass (between 200 and 500)  
RS ISO  4316, Surface active agents — Determination of pH of aqueous solution — Potentiometric method  
RS EAS 794, Determination of the microbial inhibition of cosmetic soap b ars and liquid hand and body washes 
— Test method  
RS ISO 21149, Cosmetics — Microbiology —numeration and detection of aerobic mesophilic bacteria  
RS 278, Cosmetics — Method of sampling  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and  definitions given in RS ISO 862 and the following apply..  
3.1 
fabric softener  
a laundry auxiliary product or laundry detergent ingredient that gives fabrics a soft feel, freshening, smooth 
surface, or reduces static electricity, or a combination thereof.  CD xxx: 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 3.2 
laundering  
the cleaning and restoring of textile materials to a serviceable condition using the washing and drying equipment 
commonly found in household.  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  The fabric softener shall have uniform dispersion with no lumps or phase separation, and shall not 
contain ingredients in quantities that are toxic to human beings.  
4.1.2  It shall be uniform in colour with no un -dissolved or precipitated dyes that may stain the treated fabrics.  
4.1.3  If the product is antibacteri al, it shall pass antibacterial activity test when tested in accordance with RS 
EAS 794.  
4.1.4  Odour: The product, both as received and when dissolved in water, shall possess a pleasant, fresh 
odour and shall not develop an objectionable one during storage  at ambient temperature.  
4.1.5  Stability: The product shall remain stable for the declared shelf life period without breaking of the 
dispersion (phase separation), changes in colour and deterioration of the odour.  
4.1.6  Dispersion: The product shall disperse effectively or easily in standards hard water (total hardness 150 
ppm ± 20 ppm) at 30 ºC. 
4.1.7  Activity: The product shall influence the properties of the fabric to improved wet -ability, softer and 
reduced static charge.  
4.2 Specifi c requirements  
The product shall comply with the specific quality requirements given in table 1, when tested in accordance with 
the method prescribed therein.  
Table 1  — Specific requirements  
S/N Parameters  Requirements  Test method  
i.  Cationic content, % (w/w), min.  2.5 RS ISO 2871 (1&2)  
ii.  pH, neat, range  2 – 7 RS ISO 4316  
iii.  Total viable counts, cfu/g, max  2 x 102 RS ISO 21149  
iv.  Specific organisms  Absent  RS EAS 794  
 
 CD xxx: 2019  
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    ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 5 Packaging and labelling  
5.1 Packaging  
The product shall be packaged in suitable containers that are strong enough to withstand normal usage and 
transportation and that prevent leaking, drying out and contamination of the product.  
5.2 Labelling  
Each container and each bulk package shall be legibly and indelibly labelled with the following information : 
a) name of the product as “Fabric softener/conditioner/enhancer”;  
b) manufacturer name and physical address;  
NOTE  The name, physical address of the distributor/supplier and trade mark may be added as required  
c) batch or lot number;  
d) net contents;  
e) antibacterial ag ents if used and their levels;  
f) instructions for use (which shall be either English, French or Kinyarwanda, or in combination as agreed 
between the manufacturer and supplier);  
g) date of manufacture;  
h) list of ingredients;  
i) precautions;  
j) best before date; and  
k) country of origin.  
6 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with RS 278.  
 
  CD xxx: 2019  
ICS 71.100.40  
 
 
©RSB 2019  - All right s reserved