ICS 71.100.01  
 
Reference number  
DRS  90-2: 202 1 
© RSB 202 1 
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
90-2  
 
Second  edition  
2021 -mm-dd 
 
Polishes — Specification — 
Part 2:  
Shoe cream type  
   
DRS  90-2: 202 1 
ii         ©RSB 202 1- 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 2021  
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ePortal:  www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS  90-2: 202 1 
iii         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  4 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
5 Packag ing and labelling ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
5.1 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 5 
5.2 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  5 
6 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
Annex  A (normative)  Test methods for heat and cold  ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
Annex  B (normative)  Determination of ash  ................................ ................................ ...........................  7 
 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 7 
 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 7 
Annex  C ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  8 
 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 8 
Annex  D ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  9 
 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 9 
 Test for drying  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  9 
Annex  E ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  10 
E.2 Scale of sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  10 
E.3 Preparation of composite test samples  ................................ ................................ ...................  11 
E.4 Number of test and criterion for conformity  ................................ ................................ ............  11 
 DRS  90-2: 202 1 
iv         ©RSB 202 1- 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.  
WD 90 -2 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 024, Organic and inorganic c hemicals.  
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard :  
IS 6350: 1985 (Reaffirmed 2003) : Specification for shoe cream  
The assistance derived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
This second . edition  cancels and replaces the first edition (RS  90-2: 2015 ), of which [has / have] been technically 
revised.  
WD 90 consists of the following parts, under the general title Polishes  — Specification:  
 Part 1:— Shoe wax solvent paste type (withdrawn and replaced by RS EAS 462)  
 Part 2— Shoe cream type  
 Part 3:— Shoe liquid type  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Organic and inorganic chemicals  
(RSB/TC 024) in the preparation of this standard . 
Paragraph of participants  
University of Rwanda – College of Sciences and Technology (UR - CST)  
Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA)  
Standards for Sustainability (SFS)  
Horizon SOPYRWA L td 
Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
1         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 Polishes  — Specification  — Part 2: Shoe cream type  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda Standard describes the requirements , sampling  and methods of test for wax - emulsion type 
shoe cream suitable for general application to leather footwear.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of  their content constitutes 
requi rements 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 EAS 462, Shoe polish wax solvent paste type  — Specification.  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
heat resistance  
property of paste polish to resist warm ambience (at specified temperature) without changing its paste  
consistency  
3.2  
levelling  
property of  a freshly spread aqueous polish to dry to a uniform and streak -free appearance  
3.3 
drying time  
time taken by a polish to dry out sufficiently before buffing for shine  
3.4 
polish  
composition generally applied at frequent intervals to produce desired, smooth, flossy surface on rubbing. The 
common polishes are metal polish shoe polish and cream floor polish ear polish, aircraft polish, glass polish, 
tile polish and industrial buffing compounds  
 DRS  90-2: 202 1 
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 3.5 
polish , dressing  
prepared by wax, by suspension or disso lution of suitable ingredients in suitable vehicles many of these can  
be sprayed on to the shoe uppers and often final polishing can be dispensed with  
 
3.6 
polish, dry bright  
polishes which are also known by other names, such as no rub, rubless, salt -polishing, self -shine polishes on 
application with a brush or a pad, the coatings dry out to a smooth glossy surface without the usual rubbing or 
brushing  
3.7 
silicon  
semi -organic materials which are employed in the manufacture of some special polishes  
3.8 
buffing 
smoothening of a surface by means of flexible wheels to the surface of which fine abrasive particles are  applied 
in liquid suspension paste or grease stick form. This also applies to the rubbing off of surface after non abrasive  
paste or liquid polishes have been applied with a soft cloth . 
3.9 
cleaner  
product, either liquid or paste, used for cleaning floor, shoes, automobiles, hard surfaces and porcelain articles. 
In shoe care products, cleaner also stands as renovation  
3.10 
creaming  
separation of a layer of the dispersed phase on an emulsion polish to the surface of the liquid continuous phase  
3.11 
drag  
resistance on buffing alter application of polish  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
3         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 3.12 
gloss  
degree to which a polished surface possesses the properties of  reflecting light in a mirror -like manner (specular 
reflection)  
3.13 
lustre  
brightness or shine of a surface  
3.14 
pigment  
insoluble dispersed particles in a polish composition which give the dried film its characteristic properties 
ofcolour gloss and opaci ty 
3.15 
shelf life  
time for which a polish will keep in good condition when stored in original sealed containers under normal 
storage conditions on the shelves of a shop of stock room  
3.16 
shine  
brightness or radiance of a surface after being polished  
3.17 
caking  
setting of pigment particles of a polish into a hard compact mass which is not easily redispersed by stirring.The 
drying of a paste type polish into a hard unspreadable mass due to the evaporation of the solvent  
3.18 
chilling  
subjection of wax polishes to low temperatures in order to quickly tran sform them from molten state to semisolid 
state (paste) so as to impart certain desired characteristics  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
4         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  The shoe cream shall consist of waxes, organic solvent, water, soap or neutral emulsifier with or  
without colouring matter. It shall not have any deleterious effect on leather.  
4.1.2  The cream shall not have any disagreeable odour.  
4.1.3  The shoe cream shall be manufactured in neutral or any other colour nearly matching the colou r of the 
leather footwear as agreed upon between the purchaser and the manufacturer.  
4.1.4  The shoe cream shall pass the test for resistance to heat and cold when tested as in accordance with 
Annex A.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
4.2.1  When applied by means of a  brush or clean cloth to a smooth upper leather surface, the cream shall spread 
easily and evenly and shall give with minimum of buffing a reasonably glossy surface free from any greasiness. In 
case an approved sample is available, polish a similar piece o f leather and match the gloss obtained on the test 
sample with that of the approved sample.  
 
4.2.2  The film of shoe cream after spreading with the brush or the cloth shall comply with the test described in 
Annex A.  
 
4.2.3  The shoe cream shall remove the ingrained dirt from the polish surface.  
4.2.4  The shoe cream shall also comply with the requirements given in Table 1.  
Title of the table ???? Table 1 - Specific requirements of shoe cream  
S/N Characteristics    
Requirement  Test method  
  
i) Ash, percent by mass  1.5 Annex B  
ii) pH of water extract  6.5 - 9 Annex C  
iii) Flash point of the organic solvent, °C, min  30 Annex D  
 
4.2.5  The shoe cream shall be a smooth and homogeneous cream like pasty mass. When packaged in collapsible 
tubes, the cream shall come out of open tube when gently pressed, without breaking. It shall also be free from gritty 
material.  
 
4.2.6  The shoe cream shall retain the properties described in 4.2.1 to 4.2.4 for one year from the date of 
manufacture when stored in its origin al sealed containers under cover at room temperature (21 °C to 38 °C). 
4.2.7  Unless specified otherwise, pure chemicals and distilled water shall be used in tests.  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
5         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 Note  Pure chemicals mean chemicals that do not contain impurities which affect the results o f analysis.  
4.2.8  When tested in accordance with Annex A, shoe cream shall not:  
 
a) emit disagreeable odour from the containers when opened;  
b) ooze out through the caps of collapsible tubes;  
c) separate liquid from the cream and it; and  
d) flow when the container is tilted. Separation of a few drops shall not be considered a failure if these are 
reabsorbed into the cream on cooling.  
5 Packaging and labelling  
5.1 Packaging  
5.1.1  The shoe cream shall be supplied in wide mouthed container or collapsible tubes, bot h having caps  
which can be easily closed or opened and which prevent evaporation of solvent and ingress of dirt.  
 
5.1.2  The net mass of the material in each container shall preferably be 25 g, 50 g, or 100 g or as agreed to  
between the purchaser and the ma nufacturer.  
 
5.1.3  The container shall be packaged in cartons and the cartons in cardboard or wooden boxes as agreed upon 
between the purchaser and the manufacturer. Each carton shall be labelled with batch number, month and year of 
manufacture.  
 
5.2 Labelling  
The following information shall be legibly and indelibly marked on the container:  
e)manufacture’s name or its recognized trade mark, if any;  
f) net mass of the material when packaged;  
g) the name of the material; and  
h) the colour of the shoe cream.  
6 Sampling  
Sampling of shoe cream p roducts shall be done in accordance with Annex E.  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
6         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Test methods for heat and cold  
 General  
The test shall be carried out on the shoe cream in its original containers (glass bottles or collapsible tubes). One 
sample is maintained at 10°C ± 1°C and another sample at 45°C ± 2°C for 2 h.  
 Procedure  
Take small amount of cream between fingers and rub. The presence of lamps  or granules shall not be felt. Take 
two clean, dry microscopic slips. Apply a uniform thin coat of t he cr eam on the surface of one. Immediately 
place the other slip on it so that the wet polish is sandwiched. Pre ssing the two slips gently with fingers, cause 
them to move relative to each other a few rounds. Separate the slip by sliding off. There shall  not be  any streaks 
in the polish coat on either.  
  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
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 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Determination of ash  
 Procedure  
Weight accurately about 10 g of the shoe cream sample in a tarred porcelain dish. Heat on a steam batch till 
the bulk of the solvent is volatilized off and then in an  air oven at 110 g to 120 g for about an hour. Finally ignite 
the residue in a muffle furnace and weigh after cooling. Repeat ignition and cooling until constant mass is 
obtained . 
 Calculation  
Ash, percent by mass  = 𝑀1 𝑋 100
𝑀 
 
Where  
M1 is mass in grams, and 
M is mass in grams of the test sample  
 
 DRS  90-2: 202 1 
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 Annex  C 
                                                      (normative)  
 
 
Determination of pH water extract  
 
 
 Procedure  
Add 15 g of the material to 100 mL of distilled water in a beaker. Heat with stirring till all the wax is melted. Allow 
to cool to a temperature of 27 °C ± 2 °C. Separate the aqueous layer and determine its pH using a pH meter 
with a glass electrode.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DRS  90-2: 202 1 
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 Annex  D 
                                                      (normative)  
 
Determination of the flash point of the organic solvent  
 
 Procedure  
Take about 200 g of the shoe cream and distil it under reduced pressure so that all the volatile fractions are 
distilled over. Separate the organic solvent from water by a separate funnel. Shake the solvent with fused 
calcium chloride or with anhydrous magnesium sulphate and filter.  
 Test for drying  
D.2.1  Procedure  
D.2.1.1  Use leather upper piece of size 150 mm x 150 mm of the same colour as the cream. The piece shall 
be smooth and matt finished (non glossy) on the grain side.  
D.2.1.2  Clean the grain surface with a cloth or brush to remove any adhering dust particles. Apply  the cream  
in a thin aim to the smooth grain surface using a rag or brush and allow to dry for 2 𝟏
𝟐 min. 
D.2.1.3   Place the piece in one pan of a suitable physical balance and counterpoise it with weights. Place an 
additional weight of 2.5 kg and press t he polish surface with the thumb till the two pans of the balance are  
counterpoised. Keep the thumb in this position for one minute and then slowly release. The thumb impression  if 
produced shall be as can be wiped out with a cloth or brush.  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
10         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 Annex  E 
                                                      (normative)  
 
 
Sampling of shoe cream  
 
 General  
E.1.1  In drawing, preparation, storing and handling test samples, the following precautions and directions shall 
be observed.  
E.1.2  Samples shall be taken in a protect ed place that is not exposed to damp air, dust or soot.  
E.1.3  The sampling instrument shall be clean and dry when used.  
E.1.4  Precautions shall be taken to protect the samples, the material being sampled, the sampling instrument 
and the containers for samples from adv entitious contamination.  
E.1.5  To draw a representative sample, vertical sections of the shoe cream at uniformly placed points shall 
be taken and mixed as thoroughly as possible by suitable means.  
E.1.6  The sample shall be placed in clean, dry and air tight glass or o ther suitable containers, on which the 
material has no action.  
E.1.7  The sample containers shall be of such a size that they are almost completely filled by the samples . 
E.1.8  Each sample container shall be sealed air tight after filling and marked with fu ll details of sampling, the 
date of sampling and the month and year of manufacture of the material.  
E.1.9  Sample shall be stored in such a manner that the temperature of the material does not vary unduly  
from the normal temperature.  
E.2 Scale of sampling  
E.2.1 Samples, to determine the conformity of a consignment of shoe cream to this specification, shall be  
selected so as to be representative of the consignment and for this purpose the consignment shall be made  up 
of homogeneous lots.  
E.2.2 All the contai ners in a single consignment of the material drawn from the same batch of manufacture  and 
belonging to the same size shall constitute a lot. If a consignment is declared or known to consist of  different DRS  90-2: 202 1 
11         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 batches of manufacture or of different sizes of conta iners, the containers belonging to the same batch  and size 
shall be grouped together and each such group shall constitute a separate lot.  
E.2.3  Samples shall be tested for each lot for ascertaining the conformity of the material to the  requirements 
of this  specification.  
E.2.4  The number (n) of containers to be chosen from the lot shall depend upon the size of the lot and shall be 
in accordance with column 1 and 2 of Table E.1.  
Table E.1 — Nmber of containers to be selected for sampling  
Lot size (L)   
Number of containers to be 
chosen  
 
L ≤ 500 10 
500 < L ≤ 1000  15 
L > 1000  20 
 
E.2.5  In addition to the number of containers chosen in E.2.2, addition number of containers shall be selected 
from each lot so as to obtain 400 g of the material for determination of flash point of the organic solvent of the 
material.  
E.2.6  Containers shall be chosen at random from the lot; in order to ensure the randomness of selection, same 
random number table as agreed to between purchaser and supplier shall be used . 
E.3 Preparation of composite test samples  
E.3.1  For material supplied in bottles, withdraw sticks of material by means of borer such as cork borer from 
several different points across the surface of the bottles selected according to E.2.4. For material s upplied in 
collapsible tubes, press out sticks of material. The total quantity drawn from each bottle or tube shall be 
approximately 10 g.  
 
E.3.2  Thoroughly mix, if necessary by heating below 45 °C, with a chemical stirrer all the portion of the material 
drawn from different containers so as to form a composite test sample weighing not less than 100 g.  
 
E.4 Number of test and criterion for conformity  
 DRS  90-2: 202 1 
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 E.4.1  Flash point of the organic point shall be determined by using the sample drawn from containers  selected 
according to E.2.4.  
E.4.2  Tests for the determination requirements specified in 4.2.1 - 4.2.3 shall be tested by use of composite  
samp le as specified in E.3  
E.4.3 The lot shall be declared as conforming to the requirement of this specification if the test results as  
obtained under E.4.1 and E.4.2 comply with corresponding requirements.  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
13         ©RSB 202 1- All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] KS03 -820, Kenya Standard Test Method for waxes & Polishes  DRS  90-2: 202 1 
 
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