KENYA STANDARD    DKS 2238: 2019  
ICS 61.020  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Baby shawls  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 2019         Second  Edition 201 9 
 
 DKS 2238: 2019  
 
ii  © KEBS 2019  — All rights reserved  TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee : 
 
Ministry of Roads -Materials Depar tment  
Alpha Knits  
Spin Knit  
Rupa Mills  
Bubanks  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute  (KIRDI)  
Thika Cloth Mills  
Spinners and Spinners  
Manchester Outfitters  
TSS Weaving and Spinning  
Sunflag Textile and Knit Wear Mills  
Bedi Ivestments  
Tarpo Indu stries  
Specialised Towels  
Kenknits Ltd Eldoret  
Kenya Association of Manufacturers  
Kenya  Bureau of Standards —Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. Su ggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2019  
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyright 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bure au of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or tra nsmitted by any means without prior permission in writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 KENYA STANDARD    DKS 2238: 2019  
ICS 61.020  
© KEBS 2019  — All rights  reserved     iii  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Baby shawls  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 60549 0, 602350, Fax: (+254 020) 604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org  
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu -40100        P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru -20100  
Tel.: (+254 041) 229563, 230939/40                Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396        Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555  
Fax: (+254 041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814  DKS 2238: 2019  
 
iv  © KEBS 2019  — All rights reserved   Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard has been prepared by the Technical Committee on Woven Fabrics under the guidance 
of the Standards Project s Committee and in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya Bureau  of 
Standards . 
 
Baby shawls are widely used by mothers on their infants to provide warmth  and as a wrapper for carrying 
babies. The standard specifies minimum requirem ents on brea king strength , tear resistance , mass  of fabric 
among others. The standard will ensure that baby shawls manufactured or imported in the country meet the 
minimum requirements  specified in this standard.   
 
 
 
The following are the changes incorpora ted in this second edition of this standard:  
 
i) References within the text of this standard  have been updated  
ii) The parameters on colourfastness specified in Table 2 has been reviewed in accordance with ISO  
iii) test methods.  
iv) The parameter on  mass(g /m2), dimensiona l change and pH specified in Table 1 has been reviewed 
in accordance with ISO  test methods.  
v) Fringes and dimensions (width & length) have been updated  
vi) Parameter on grading has been removed  
vii) Freedom of defects has been added  
viii) Marking has been updated  
ix) Parame ter on hot pressing in table 2 updated  
  
KENYA STANDARD    DKS 2238: 2019  
 
© KEBS 2019  — All rights reserved     1  
 
Baby shawls  — Specification  
 
1 Scope  
 
The Kenya Standard specifies requirements for baby shawls intended for covering  and wrapping  infants  
 
2 Application  
 
This standard  applies to woven baby shawls  of all sizes and shades  made out of acrylic fibres and blends.  
 
3 Normative references  
 
The following standards are indispensable in the application of this standard:  
 
KS 210, Glossary of  textile terms relating to fabrics made from natural fibres  
KS 209 , Glossary of te rms relating to man -made fibre and fabric industry  
KS 834 , Test methods for determination of dimensions of woven fabrics  
KS ISO 1833 -12, Textiles -Quantitative chemical analysis  Part 12  Mixtures of acrylic, certain modacrylics, 
certain clorofibres, certain elastanes and certain other fibres (method using dimethylformamide)  
KS EAS 253 -1, Requirements for grading textile materials -part 1 fabrics  
KS 747 , Preservative treatment for textiles  
KS ISO 3758 Care labelling code using symbols  
KS ISO 7211 -1, Methods fo r presentation of weave diagram and plans for drafting, denting and lifting   
KS ISO 3801: Mass per unit area of woven fabrics  
KS ISO 13934 -1, Methods for determination of breaking load and elongation (strip method) of woven fabrics   
KS ISO 13937 -4, Tear pr operties of fabrics  Part 4: Determination of tear force of tongue shaped specimens 
(Double tear method).  
KS ISO 6940 , Textile fabrics -burning behavior Part1 : Determination of ease of ignition of vertically oriented 
fabrics   
KS ISO 105 -C10:   Colour fastness to washing with soap or soap and soda  
KS ISO 105 -D01:  Colour fastness to dry cleaning using perchloroethylene solvent  
KS  ISO 105 X12 : Colour fastness to rubbing  
KS ISO 105 -E04 Tests for colour fastness -- Part E04: Colour fastness to perspiration  
KS ISO 105 -B02:  Colour fastness to artificial light: Xenon arc fading lamp test  
KS ISO 105 -X11: Colourfastness to hot pressing  
KS ISO 3071 , Method for determination of pH value of aqueous extracts of textile materi als 
KS ISO 12945 , Textiles -determination of fabric propensity to surface fuzzing and to pilling  
KS 665,  Specification for textile labels  
KS 496 , Specifications for acrylic yarns  
KS ISO 12947 -2, Determination of abrasion resi stance of fabrics by Martindale method  — Part: 2: 
Determination of specimen breakdown  
 DKS 2238: 2019  
 
2  © KEBS 2019  — All rights reserved   
4 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose s of this standard the terms and definitions given in KS 210 and KS 209 and that  given below 
shall apply.  
 
4.1  
baby s hawl  
a fabric woven or knitted from acryli c yarns and blends having a fancy construction  (woven or knitted ) 
intended for retaining warmth  
 
5 Requirements  
 
5.1 Materials  
 
The baby shawl shall be made from 100 % acrylic fibres or a blend of acrylic and other fibres where acrylic 
component is at least 85  %. The fibre composition of the fabrics shall be tested in accordance with KS  ISO 
1833 -12. 
 
5.2 Manufacture  
 
5.2.1  Yarns  
 
The yarns used shall comply with the req uirements of KS 496. 
 
5.2.2 Construction  
 
The baby shaw l fabric shall be of fancy constructio n, (honey comb  or knitted ).and the performance 
requirements shall be as given in T ables 1 . 
 
5.2.3  Fringes  
 
Baby shawls shall have fring es of  a minimum  of 5 cm  on at least two  sides. However,  two sides may be 
overlocked , hemmed or bound  in order to secure t he edges.  
 
5.3 Finished f abrics  
 
5.3.1  Dimensions  
 
The width and length of each piece shall be as declared ±3%.  These  shall be determined  in accordance with 
KS 834 . These excludes the fringes. 
 
 
5.3.2  Colour fastness  
 
The colour fastness of baby shawls  shall comply wi th requirements given in  Table 2.  
 
5.3.3  Shade  
 
The shade of the fabric  shall be uniform throughout when  visually examined in ordinary daylight and shall 
match the standard sample . 
 
6 Freedom from defects  
 
Each baby  shawl shall be free from defects .  
 
7 Marking  
 DKS 2238: 2019  
I 
© KEBS 2010 — All rights reserved     3 7.1 Piece  
 
The following information shall appear in legible and indelible marking on a label complying with the 
requirements of KS  08-665 and securely attached to each piece of baby shawl : 
 
a) Manufacturer’ s name or registered trade -mark  
b) Fibre composition  and proportion  of the fabric  
c) Width and length of the fabric  
d) Care ins tructions in accordance with KS ISO 3758  
e) Made in Kenya or country of manufacture  
f) The variety ‘light or heavy’ shall be declared  
 
7.2 Bulk containers  
 
The following information shall a ppea r in legible and indelible m arking on the outside of each bulk container:  
 
a) The information  specified under 7 .1 above . 
b) Quantity of pieces .  
 
8 Packaging   
 
Each piece of baby shawl shall be packed with a material  that ensures protection from moisture, dust a nd 
gas fumes . A number of baby shawls shall be packed in bales or suitable containers . 
 
 
Table 1  — Performance  requirements for baby shawls  
 
SL N o. Characteristic  Requirement  Test m ethod  
Light variety  Heavy variety  
i) Breaking Strength, 
Newtons, minim um Warp  250 300 KS ISO 13934 -1 
Weft 250 300 
ii) Tear Resistance, 
Newtons, Minimum  Warp  70 80 KS ISO 13937 -2 
Weft 70 80 
iii) Mass in g/m2, Minimum  150 200 KS ISO 3801  
iv) Abrasion resistance, cycles, Minimum  14500  14500  KS ISO 12947 -2 
v) Pilling  resistance, grade, minimum  3 3 KS ISO 12945 -2 
vi) Dimensional change, after 5 washings, 
percent, maximum , both directions  
 12 12 KS ISO 3759  
KS ISO 6330  
Procedure 4N  
vii) pH 6-8 6-8 KS ISO 3071  
 DKS 2238: 2019  
 
4  © KEBS 2019  — All rights reserved  Table 2 — Colour fastness requirements  for baby shawls  
 
 
SL No.   
Agency  Numerical rating (min)   
Test method  Change in colour  Staining  
i) Light  5 — KS ISO 105 B02 
 
ii) Washing  4 4 KS ISO 105 -C10 
iii) Perspiration  (acid 
and alkali)  4 4 KS ISO 105 -E04  
iv) Hot pressing (11 0o 
C) 4 4 KS ISO 105 -X11 
v) Dry-cleaning  
 4 4 KS ISO 105 -D01 
vi) Rubbing    KS ISO 105 -X12 
a) dry 
 4 
 4 
 
b) wet 3-4 3-4