What does washfast mean?
Washfast is an adjective for a fabric, garment, dye, or colour that will not fade or lose its characteristic colour when washed. It is especially important in textiles, where repeated laundering can weaken dyes or cause colours to bleed. A product described as washfast is therefore expected to retain its colour through washing, although the term does not by itself guarantee that the material will not shrink, wrinkle, or undergo other changes. In ordinary use, washfast usually describes colourfastness, but it can also characterize a textile or finish more generally as stable under washing. The word is more characteristic of technical and consumer descriptions of clothing, furnishings, and laundry products than of everyday conversation. It is closely related in meaning to colourfast or colorfast and fade-resistant. Knowing the distinction helps when comparing care labels or product specifications: washable says an item can be laundered, while washfast says that washing will not cause its colour to fade.
adjectiveA washfast fabric, garment, dye, or colour will not fade or lose its colour when washed. The term is especially common in textile and laundry contexts.
- A washfast fabric, garment, dye, or colour is one that will not fade or lose its colour when washed.
"This indigo dye is washfast, so the shirt should retain its colour after several washes."
"The manufacturer tested the fabric and confirmed that its blue was washfast."
"Buy a washfast dye if you want the colour to survive repeated laundering."
A washfast colour has to survive the one test that many ordinary colours fail: the wash.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does washfast come from?
Washfast is an English compound formed from wash and fast. In this use, fast is an adjective meaning secure or resistant to change, as in colour-fast, rather than its more familiar sense of moving quickly. The compound expresses resistance to the effects of washing and belongs to the vocabulary of textile and laundry description.
How washfast is actually used
The term is chiefly used in textile, dyeing, retail, and laundry contexts. It normally implies resistance to washing-induced fading or colour loss, not merely that an item is suitable for washing.