260gsm Solution-Dyed Fleece for Rental Fleets

Q: Is solution-dyed polyester fleece completely chlorine-proof?

No. Dope-dyed polyester usually resists visible colour loss better than many piece-dyed routes, but sodium hypochlorite can still damage trims, sewing thread, labels, handfeel and pile. Test the complete finished blanket under the actual laundry recipe.

Q: What light-fastness grade should an outdoor rental blanket use?

For shaded hospitality, ISO 105-B02 grade 4 may be enough. For poolside or seasonal outdoor rental, grade 5 is a stronger target. For high-UV use and replenishment shade matching, grade 5-6 is preferable if the shade and budget allow.

Q: What is a reasonable GSM tolerance for 260gsm fleece?

A practical bulk tolerance is 260gsm +/-5%, with no roll below about 247gsm or above about 273gsm unless approved. Measure by ISO 3801 or ASTM D3776/D3776M after conditioning, and require roll-level records.

Q: Which edge is best for rental fleece blankets?

Bound edges give the best visual durability but cost more and add bulk. Overlock is softer and cheaper but can snag. Folded hems sit between the two. For rental fleets, specify SPI, binding width or hem depth, corner construction and seam strength rather than choosing by appearance only.

Q: How should replenishment shade be controlled?

Approve a master standard, keep retained swatches, assess under controlled light sources, view in the approved pile direction and define Delta E tolerance. A practical target is Delta E CMC 2:1 <=1.2 for bulk and <=1.5 for replenishment, adjusted for shade difficulty.

Stacks of navy solution dyed polyester fleece blankets beside a light box and inspection ruler in a blanket factory QC area

Start with the 260gsm line item, not a generic fleece quote

For rental use, 260gsm solution-dyed polyester fleece blankets sit in a useful middle band: heavier and more stable than 180-210gsm travel fleece, but still packable for lockers, carts and off-season storage. A practical PO line should state: 100% polyester polar fleece, dope-dyed or mass-coloured polyester route, nominal 260gsm, brushed both sides, anti-pilling finish if required, one-way nap cutting, finished size after first laundering, approved edge construction, barcode label position and rental repair rules.

Do not write only "260gsm fleece blanket". That leaves the colour route, yarn type, nap height, shrinkage allowance, pilling target and edge durability open. For a rental fleet, those are not cosmetic details; they decide whether replenishment pieces still match the first delivery after six months of washing and sun.

Mass per unit area should be measured after conditioning. ISO 3801 is acceptable for textile mass per unit length and area; many US buyers also accept ASTM D3776/D3776M. State the method and condition specimens for at least 24 hours at 20 +/-2 degrees C and 65 +/-4% RH, or use the conditioning atmosphere required by the nominated lab. For bulk fleece, a workable tolerance is nominal 260gsm +/-5%, with no roll below 247gsm and no roll above 273gsm unless approved. Require roll-level GSM records, not only one cutting-room average.

Piece-weight calculation should be transparent. The fabric-only estimate is: finished area in square metres x GSM. A 130 x 170cm blanket is 2.21m2; at 260gsm it uses about 575g of face fabric. A 150 x 200cm blanket is 3.00m2; at 260gsm it uses about 780g. These numbers exclude cutting loss, hem turnback, overlock thread, binding tape, labels, repair allowance, packing moisture, polybag and carton weight. Finished packed weight may move by several percent depending on edge type and moisture at packing.

If a rental operator prices by truck volume, ask for folded size and carton CBM at approval-sample stage, not after bulk packing. A denser fleece can look better on the shelf, but if the folded stack is too high for return bins, staff will over-compress it and create pile creases. For mixed outdoor blanket programmes, compare fleece against heavier picnic constructions such as 370gsm sherpa picnic blankets with 210D PU backing or mat-style constructions in choosing picnic, beach and camping mats.

Clarify what solution dyeing means for polyester fleece

"Solution dyed" is used loosely in blanket sourcing. For polyester, the more precise terms are often dope-dyed or mass-coloured: colourant masterbatch or pigment dispersion is introduced into the polymer melt before fibre extrusion. The colour is distributed through the fibre rather than applied mainly to the surface after knitting.

That does not mean every colourant system behaves the same. Pigment selection, masterbatch dispersion, polymer quality, extrusion control, yarn texturing and heat-setting all affect shade, handfeel and fastness. Two mills can both offer "solution-dyed polyester" and deliver different light fastness, different nap lustre and different lot-to-lot shade repeatability.

For 260gsm rental fleece, buyers normally approve one of three routes: DTY filament polyester fleece, spun staple polyester fleece, or a mill-nominated route where the supplier may choose within agreed performance limits. DTY filament fleece is common for cost-controlled polar fleece. It can give good strength, low lint and consistent colour when filament package quality is stable. The hand can feel cleaner and less cottony than staple fleece.

Spun staple polyester fleece can feel warmer and more natural, but the surface has more short fibre ends, so linting and pilling risk are higher unless yarn quality, raising and shearing are tightly controlled. A mill-nominated route is acceptable only if the PO locks down GSM, pilling grade, lint tendency, dimensional change, seam performance, shade continuity and retained handfeel standard.

For rental fleets, we usually prefer specifying the performance route rather than forcing a yarn construction the mill cannot support consistently. Write: "dope-dyed polyester fleece, DTY filament route unless otherwise approved in writing" or "mill-nominated mass-coloured polyester route subject to retained sample, ISO 12945-2 pilling, lint check, dimensional stability and shade continuity approval".

Buyer specification table for 260gsm rental fleece

Use the table below as a starting specification. It should be adjusted for the actual laundry recipe, market regulations and service life target.

Item	Recommended buying requirement	Test or control point
Fabric weight	260gsm +/-5%; no roll outside 247-273gsm without written approval	ISO 3801 or ASTM D3776/D3776M after conditioning
Fibre and colour route	100% polyester, dope-dyed/mass-coloured; DTY filament or approved route	Supplier declaration plus retained yarn/fabric standard
Finished size	After first wash: +/-2% from ordered size; after 5 washes: within +/-3%	ISO 6330 or agreed industrial laundry simulation
Shrinkage endpoint	Measure after 1, 3 and 5 cycles; report length and width separately	Marked measurement points on finished blanket
Pilling	Grade 3-4 minimum after 5,000 rubs; premium target grade 4	ISO 12945-2, stated pressure and cycle count
Linting	No loose fibre clumps after first wash/tumble; filter-weight or visual transfer not worse than approved aged standard	Agreed rub/vacuum/filter method; retain panels
Wash fastness	Colour change grade 4 minimum; staining grade 4 minimum	ISO 105-C06 assessed by ISO 105-A02/A03
Chlorine challenge	After 20 agreed hypochlorite cycles: shade change grade 4 minimum for core darks, grade 3-4 only by approval for bright shades	ISO 105-N01 or buyer/mill agreed protocol, finished blanket tested
Light fastness	Grade 4 shaded use; grade 5 outdoor seasonal use; grade 5-6 high-UV replenishment programmes	ISO 105-B02 against blue wool standards at defined exposure stage
Edge strength	No seam rupture below 120 N for hem/binding; label attachment 70 N minimum unless label substrate fails safely	ISO 13935-2 or ASTM D1683 adapted to seam type
Binding and stitch	Binding finished width 18-25mm; lockstitch or coverstitch 8-12 SPI; overlock 3- or 4-thread 10-14 SPI	Inline sewing audit and final inspection
Label durability	Readable barcode and care label after 20 laundry cycles; no sharp edges, no detached corners	Scan test plus wash validation
Inspection level	General II, AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor; critical defects 0	ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 or ISO 2859-1 sampling

Chlorine tolerance: test the finished blanket, not fabric alone

Solution-dyed polyester usually resists visible chlorine fade better than many piece-dyed polyester fleece routes, but sodium hypochlorite can still damage a finished rental blanket. The fleece face may hold colour while sewing thread weakens, binding tape yellows, printed care labels crack, woven labels bleed, elastomeric ID tags harden or the handfeel becomes dry. Testing fabric only is not enough.

A chlorine validation should be run on complete finished blankets or representative finished panels containing the body fleece, edge construction, sewing thread, labels, barcode label, repair patch if used and any corner ID mark. If the laundry uses RFID tags or heat-transfer barcodes, include them in the wash. The failure mode often appears at the trim before the base fleece fails.

ISO 105-C06 is useful for ordinary wash fastness screening, but it does not automatically represent repeated sodium hypochlorite disinfection. A textile-relevant bleach check can be built around ISO 105-N01 or an agreed laboratory adaptation for hypochlorite exposure, then assessed with ISO 105-A02 grey scale for colour change and, where needed, ISO 105-A03 for staining. If the laundry recipe is non-standard, state that the custom chlorine protocol supplements ISO 105-C06; it is not a replacement for standard wash fastness.

A buyer worksheet should fix the chemistry before quotation: available chlorine ppm at bath start and bath end, liquor ratio, pH, temperature, contact time, neutralisation, rinse count, drying temperature and cycle count. As a starting point for coloured polyester fleece validation, labs often model 50-150 ppm available chlorine, pH 9.5-10.5, 30-40 degrees C, 10-15 minutes contact time, liquor ratio around 1:20, followed by sodium thiosulfate neutralisation and two rinses. This is not a universal laundry recipe; it is a repeatable lab challenge.

For rental fleets, a practical endpoint is: measure finished dimensions and shade after cycle 1, cycle 5, cycle 10 and cycle 20. Use at least one complete blanket for appearance and dimensional checks, or finished panels large enough to include all trims. If using panels, record that the result is panel-based and not a full-blanket result. A 500 x 500mm panel can work for colour and handfeel, but finished-blanket shrinkage and edge torque need full-size sampling.

Drying method must be written. "Tumble dry" is too vague. State low tumble at about 50-60 degrees C exhaust temperature, medium tumble at about 65-75 degrees C, or line dry. High heat can flatten pile, increase static and distort edges even if the fibre does not shrink severely.

A PO-enforceable target can read: after 20 agreed chlorine challenge cycles, colour change ISO 105-A02 grade 4 minimum for navy, charcoal and mid-grey; grade 3-4 allowed only for pre-approved bright shades; no brittle hand, no obvious yellowing, no seam thread degradation, no label illegibility, and no more than 3% additional dimensional change versus non-chlorine wash control.

Some commercial laundries use low hundreds of ppm available chlorine for disinfection or white goods. Coloured fleece should normally be run with oxygen bleach or non-chlorine chemistry where possible. If the service partner insists on chlorine, run lab panels against that recipe before committing to dark navy, black, saturated green or bright brand colours.

Light fastness: define exposure stage and grade

ISO 105-B02 grade 5-6 is a strong target for outdoor fleece, but it may be ambitious depending on shade, pigment system, exposure angle and replacement cycle. Do not use the same light-fastness requirement for a shaded hotel terrace and a beach-club lounger programme. It can push cost and colour limitation without improving the rental economics.

ISO 105-B02 assesses colour fastness to artificial light using xenon arc exposure, with ratings made against blue wool references. The order should state the exposure method and endpoint, for example assessment after the specified blue wool standard has faded to the required contrast stage, and rating by comparison with blue wool standards. Without that detail, "grade 5" can be interpreted loosely in commercial paperwork.

A practical buying guide is: grade 4 minimum for shaded hospitality, indoor-outdoor lounge use or short-term event rental; grade 5 for poolside, event lawns and seasonal outdoor exposure; grade 5-6 where blankets sit in frequent sun or where replenishment shade matching is critical. Bright red, orange, turquoise and some fashion greens need early lab confirmation before a buyer promises the colour to a brand team.

For high-UV programmes, consider solution-dyed shades that already have a track record in outdoor fleece, or move to acrylic and woven routes such as 480gsm solution-dyed acrylic stadium blankets when the budget and handfeel brief allow.

Instrumental colour checks help, but fleece is not a flat plastic chip. Pile direction, brushing height and shearing can make a spectrophotometer reading look acceptable while the blanket looks different to the eye under side light. Use visual panel approval in a light box and in angled daylight simulation. For Delta E, specify the equation and setting, for example Delta E CMC l:c 2:1, and state whether the tolerance is for lab dip, bulk lot or replenishment lot.

Fabric construction, pilling and lint control

The 260gsm number does not tell you whether the blanket will keep its handfeel after thirty rental turns. Control comes from knitting density, yarn route, raising depth, shearing height and heat setting. Polyester fleece at this weight commonly uses fine-denier polyester yarns; the exact denier and filament count should be confirmed against the mill's available greige programme rather than copied from another supplier's sheet.

Tighter knitting improves dimensional stability and reduces laddering at cut edges, but it can feel boardy if brushing is too light or heat setting is too harsh. Over-raised fleece feels soft at sampling but sheds and pills earlier. Over-sheared fleece looks tidy but can lose loft and warmth. For rental use, approve a washed and tumbled sample, not only a fresh mill sample.

Specify pilling using ISO 12945-2 Martindale pilling or an agreed equivalent. Write the cycle count and assessment grade. For rental-fleet fleece, a useful target is grade 3-4 minimum after 5,000 rubs under the stated test pressure. Grade 4 after 2,000 rubs is not a substitute if the blanket will see weekly laundry and cart handling. For premium long-cycle fleets, request grade 4 after 5,000 rubs if the handfeel and price still work.

Linting should be evaluated before and after laundering. ISO 9073-10 is often used for lint and other particles from nonwovens, but fleece blankets usually need a practical agreed method. We use retained visual standards plus a rub-and-vacuum or filter-weight check when the buyer has laundry sensitivity. One workable internal screen is: wash and tumble the blanket once, dry-rub a defined area, vacuum through a pre-weighed filter, and compare fibre weight and appearance against the approved aged standard. State the specimen size, rubbing cycles and vacuum time so the result can be repeated.

A practical rental rule is: no visible loose fibre clumps after first wash and tumble, no lint transfer heavier than the approved aged standard, and no objectionable fibre shedding on black upholstery after 20 dry rubs. If blankets will be used in buses, boats or dark upholstered lounge areas, lint control matters as much as softness.

Dimensional stability: specify cycles, drying and measurement points

Dimensional stability should be tested after ISO 6330 domestic laundering or an agreed industrial laundry simulation. For a 260gsm polyester fleece rental blanket, specify finished size after one wash and maximum dimensional change after five washes. A workable target is length and width change within +/-3% after 5 x ISO 6330 cycles at 40 degrees C, tumble dry low or line dry as stated. If the buyer's laundry uses 60 degrees C and tumble heat, test that process and expect a tighter heat-setting requirement.

Finished-size claims should be made after the first wash when the fleet will be laundered before issue. For example: "150 x 200cm finished size after one ISO 6330 wash, tolerance +/-2%; after five cycles, total dimensional change not exceeding +/-3% in either direction." If the goods will ship directly to rental locations without pre-wash, state both as-packed size and after-wash size.

Measurement should use marked reference points on the blanket, not loose corner-to-corner pulling. For full blankets, mark three length lines and three width lines set in from the edges, measure before washing after conditioning, then measure again after each endpoint. Report length and width separately. Do not average a length shrinkage failure away with width growth.

The drying endpoint matters. Line drying gives a different result from tumble drying. Low tumble at approximately 50-60 degrees C is less aggressive than medium heat around 65-75 degrees C. If a laundry uses gas dryers with high exhaust temperatures or over-drying, request a real laundry trial because lab tumble settings may understate pile flattening and edge curl.

Edge construction limits: overlock, hem, binding and labels

Edge failure is the most visible rental defect. A blanket with acceptable face fabric can still be removed from service because the corner curls, overlock thread unravels, binding puckers or a label tears out. Edge type should be approved before bulk cutting because it changes size, weight, labour cost and repairability.

For low-bulk fleece edges, a 3-thread or 4-thread overlock can work if thread quality and stitch density are controlled. Specify 10-14 SPI, balanced tension, no skipped stitches longer than 15mm, no broken thread at corners and a secure back-tack or thread-chain lock at each corner. Overlock is cost-effective and soft, but rental staff can snag exposed loops on carts and shelving.

A folded hem gives a cleaner edge but adds bulk. A common construction is 15-20mm turnback with lockstitch or coverstitch at 8-12 SPI. The hem should lie flat after five washes with no more than mild edge wave. If the fleece is stretchy, poor differential feed can cause scalloping. Require corner squareness within 10mm on a 150 x 200cm blanket unless a more relaxed outdoor look is approved.

Bound edges give the best visual durability but must be specified. Polyester tricot, woven polyester or self-fabric binding can be used. Finished binding width is usually 18-25mm for this weight. Narrow binding looks tidy but may not cover cut-edge variation; overly wide binding can twist after laundry. Specify mitred or rounded corners, seam overlap 20-30mm, lockstitch or coverstitch 8-12 SPI, and no raw binding end exposed.

Strength should not be ignored because fleece feels soft. For knitted fleece, bursting strength by ISO 13938-2 is often more relevant than woven tensile. A typical acceptance target for 260gsm polyester fleece can be 250 kPa minimum bursting strength, or higher if blankets are pulled from bins and carts. Where cut-and-sew seams are used, test seam strength by ISO 13935-2 or ASTM D1683 adapted to the seam type; target no seam rupture below 120 N for hems and binding. For woven labels, target attachment strength around 70 N minimum unless the label substrate is designed to fail safely before tearing the fleece.

Use polyester sewing thread compatible with repeated washing and any bleach challenge. Thread Tex 27-40 is common for light to medium fleece edges; binding and high-stress labels may need a heavier thread if the appearance still passes. Cotton thread should normally be avoided for chlorinated laundry. For colour, match thread to aged blanket shade, not only fresh bulk fabric.

Shade control for replenishment lots

Rental fleets often buy an opening order, then replenish damaged or lost blankets in smaller lots. That is where shade control becomes a commercial problem. A dope-dyed fibre route helps, but it does not remove lot variation from masterbatch, extrusion, yarn texturing, brushing, heat-setting and pile direction.

Create an approved master standard before bulk. The master should include a fabric swatch large enough for visual assessment, a washed aged panel if chlorine or sun exposure is relevant, and a note on pile direction. Keep at least three retained standards: one with the buyer, one with the mill QC room and one sealed for dispute reference. For long programmes, keep a retained swatch from each production lot for at least the agreed replenishment period, commonly 12-24 months.

Instrumental shade control should be written by lot stage. A realistic rule is: lab dip or yarn/fabric approval within Delta E CMC 2:1 <= 1.0 versus master where technically possible; bulk roll average within <= 1.2; replenishment lots within <= 1.5 unless the buyer approves a shade band. Dark navy, charcoal and mid-grey are usually manageable. Bright saturated colours may need wider tolerance or larger MOQ.

Visual assessment must control light source and viewing direction. Use D65 daylight, TL84 or store light if the blanket is used in retail-style indoor settings, and A light where warm hospitality lighting matters. View face-up with nap running the approved direction, then rotate 180 degrees to check pile-direction effect. Do not approve shade from folded stacks only; side shadow can hide a mismatch.

Bulk cutting should be shade-lot controlled. Do not mix rolls from different dye or extrusion lots into one carton unless the buyer has approved random shade mixing. If the fleet has regional depots, allocate each depot from one shade lot where possible. Mixed shade lots become more visible after repair sorting.

Packaging rules for rental operators

Packing for rental is different from packing for gift retail. The goods need to arrive clean, dry, scannable and easy to count. Over-compression may reduce CBM but can leave pile creases and make the first issue look used. Vacuum packing is not recommended for 260gsm fleece rental fleets unless the buyer accepts a recovery trial after unpacking and airing.

A practical individual pack is one folded blanket in a clear LDPE or recycled-content polybag of about 30-50 microns, with ventilation holes if required by destination rules and no sharp sealed edges. If the blanket will be laundered before first use, a bulk inner polybag per carton may be better than individual bags. Avoid PVC bags for rental programmes unless the buyer has a specific reuse plan and compliance review.

Fold pattern should be standardised. For a 150 x 200cm blanket, common folds are quarter fold plus third fold to reach a stackable rectangle. Specify folded size tolerance, for example +/-20mm in length and width and +/-15mm in height after normal packing pressure. If the fleet uses shelves or automated counting, folded-size variation causes handling cost.

Cartons should be sized to avoid crushing and overhang. Use export cartons with board grade suitable for the carton weight, often five-ply for heavier fleece cartons. Keep gross carton weight within the buyer's manual handling rule; many operations prefer under 15-18kg. Use inner moisture protection for sea freight, and condition goods before packing so fleece is not sealed with excess moisture.

Carton markings should include PO, item code, colour, size, quantity, carton number, gross/net weight, dimensions, country of origin and any rental batch code. Barcode labels should be placed on two adjacent carton faces where possible, at least 30mm from edges and not over carton seams or strapping. For automated scanning, keep barcode print quiet zone clear and set placement tolerance, for example +/-10mm from the approved label position.

If each blanket has a barcode or QR asset label, test scan after 20 laundry cycles. Place the label where it is easy for staff to scan but not abrasive to the user: commonly near one corner on the reverse face, set in 60-100mm from the edge. Heat-transfer labels must not crack or lift after wash testing; woven labels must not curl into a hard edge.

Inspection, defects and repair AQL

Use a sampling plan that matches rental risk. For normal bulk shipment, ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 or ISO 2859-1 General Inspection Level II with AQL 2.5 major and 4.0 minor is a common starting point. Critical defects should be AQL 0: contamination by metal, oil stains, mould, live insects, wrong fibre claim, unsafe sharp label edges, wrong care label or wrong colour not approved for the PO.

Major defects for rental fleece include open seams, broken overlock at corners, binding detachment, holes, fabric ladders, stains larger than the approved limit, barcode unscannable, wrong size beyond tolerance, shade outside approved band, severe pilling on new goods, heavy lint contamination, missing care label and carton quantity shortage. Minor defects include slight thread tails, minor pile pressure marks recoverable after airing, small shade variation within approved band and label placement slightly outside tolerance but still scannable.

Repair rules must be agreed before production and before returned-goods sorting. A clean restitch of a 20-50mm skipped overlock section may be acceptable if thread matches, stitch density matches and no hard knot touches the user. A binding repair at a corner may be acceptable if overlap is neat and total repaired length is below the buyer's limit, for example less than 100mm per blanket. Holes in the face fabric are usually not acceptable for new bulk shipment and should not be patched unless the rental operator has a documented repair class.

For repaired new goods, set a sub-limit inside the AQL. Example: repaired blankets not to exceed 1.0% of shipment unless approved; no more than one visible repair per blanket; no repair in barcode label zone; all repairs to pass seam pull and visual review. For returned rental stock, use service grades instead of factory AQL: Grade A issue-ready, Grade B repaired but rentable, Grade C laundry rework, Grade D scrap/recycle.

Inline inspection should check roll GSM, width, shade, holes, oil, nap direction, cutting accuracy, edge SPI, label position and folded packing. Final inspection should include random wash-tested retains for long programmes. For a broader checklist structure, see blanket quality control inspection.

MOQ, lead time, shade limits and cost impact

Solution-dyed fleece is not a free upgrade over piece-dyed fleece. The mill must secure coloured fibre or yarn, and the MOQ is tied to extrusion, spinning or yarn package availability. For custom shades, MOQs can be materially higher than piece dyeing; for stock navy, charcoal, black or grey, the MOQ may be close to a normal fleece programme if the fibre is already running.

As a planning guide, expect solution-dyed custom shades to need earlier approval than piece-dyed fleece. Lab matching can take 7-14 days when masterbatch development is required, and bulk fibre/yarn lead time may add several weeks before knitting and finishing. Stock dope-dyed colours can be faster, but shade choice is narrower. Ask the mill whether the quoted shade is stock fibre, current production fibre or a new masterbatch development.

Cost impact depends on shade, MOQ, yarn route and testing burden. Solution-dyed polyester can carry a premium versus basic piece-dyed fleece, but it may reduce fleet replacement cost where UV, chlorine, shade continuity and replenishment matching matter. For short indoor promotions with no replenishment, piece-dyed fleece may be the rational choice. For outdoor rentals that must match season after season, solution-dyed routes justify a serious costing review.

Colour range is the main limitation. Brand teams often request exact Pantone matches that are easy in piece dyeing or print but hard in dope-dyed fibre at realistic MOQ. Build a shade range from available fibre colours first, then decide which brand colours deserve custom development. For shade-critical programmes, approve a master standard and a replenishment shade band before the first PO.

Incoterms also affect planning. FOB Ningbo or FOB Shanghai is common from Zhejiang-area blanket production, but FCA mill, CIF destination port or DDP programmes change who controls consolidation, insurance, duty and delivery risk. For timetable-sensitive rentals, connect production lead time with sailing cut-off, carton labelling approval and any pre-shipment inspection window. Blanket-specific lead-time planning is covered in custom blanket lead times and shipping.

PO clauses that prevent disputes

Good rental fleece POs are not long for the sake of paperwork. They define the failure points before the goods are cut. The shortest useful PO clause set covers material route, test methods, finished size, edge construction, shade control, packing, inspection and repair rules.

Use language such as: "Item: 100% polyester dope-dyed polar fleece blanket, nominal 260gsm +/-5% by ISO 3801 after conditioning, brushed both sides, one-way nap cutting, finished size 150 x 200cm after one ISO 6330 wash, tolerance +/-2%."

For fastness: "Wash fastness ISO 105-C06 colour change grade 4 minimum and staining grade 4 minimum. Chlorine challenge to agreed protocol: 20 cycles at stated available chlorine, pH, temperature and contact time, assessed by ISO 105-A02/A03; finished blanket including thread, binding and labels to be tested. Light fastness ISO 105-B02 grade 5 minimum for approved outdoor shades unless otherwise agreed."

For construction: "Edge construction to approved sample: bound edge finished width 20mm +/-3mm, lockstitch 8-12 SPI, corners secure, no raw binding ends. Seam strength not below 120 N by ISO 13935-2 or agreed adapted method. Label attachment minimum 70 N; barcode scannable after 20 wash cycles."

For inspection: "Final inspection to ISO 2859-1 General II, AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor, critical defects 0. Repaired new goods not to exceed 1.0% of shipment; visible repair length not over 100mm per blanket; no face-fabric patches accepted in new shipment."

For shade: "Bulk and replenishment lots to match approved master under D65 and TL84 with nap in approved direction. Delta E CMC 2:1 target <=1.2 for bulk and <=1.5 for replenishment unless buyer approves shade band. Mill to retain one master and one lot swatch for each production lot."

Frequently asked

Is solution-dyed polyester fleece completely chlorine-proof? No. Dope-dyed polyester usually resists visible colour loss better than many piece-dyed routes, but sodium hypochlorite can still damage trims, sewing thread, labels, handfeel and pile. Test the complete finished blanket under the actual laundry recipe.

What light-fastness grade should an outdoor rental blanket use? For shaded hospitality, ISO 105-B02 grade 4 may be enough. For poolside or seasonal outdoor rental, grade 5 is a stronger target. For high-UV use and replenishment shade matching, grade 5-6 is preferable if the shade and budget allow.

What is a reasonable GSM tolerance for 260gsm fleece? A practical bulk tolerance is 260gsm +/-5%, with no roll below about 247gsm or above about 273gsm unless approved. Measure by ISO 3801 or ASTM D3776/D3776M after conditioning, and require roll-level records.

Which edge is best for rental fleece blankets? Bound edges give the best visual durability but cost more and add bulk. Overlock is softer and cheaper but can snag. Folded hems sit between the two. For rental fleets, specify SPI, binding width or hem depth, corner construction and seam strength rather than choosing by appearance only.

How should replenishment shade be controlled? Approve a master standard, keep retained swatches, assess under controlled light sources, view in the approved pile direction and define Delta E tolerance. A practical target is Delta E CMC 2:1 <=1.2 for bulk and <=1.5 for replenishment, adjusted for shade difficulty.

Have a project in mind? Send us your spec — we'll reply within one business day with indicative pricing and a sample plan.

260gsm solution-dyed fleece for rental fleets