Hospitality textiles, linen and towels

• Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 — textile labelling
• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — REACH
• National fire regulations for contract textiles

Who has to appoint one

Suppliers outside the Union placing hospitality textiles on the EU market. Contract textiles for hotels and restaurants face national fire performance requirements that are stricter than those for domestic products and differ substantially between member states.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Fire requirements depend on the intended use and the national rules of the market.

What must appear on the label

Fibre composition using official names, care instructions, size, and manufacturer and responsible person details. Where flame retardant treatment is claimed, the standard and the durability of the treatment after washing.

Marketplace fields

Hotel groups and contract buyers require fire test certificates and durability data, because their own licensing and insurance depend on them.

Documentation you must hold

Technical documentation, fibre composition evidence, fire test reports for the relevant national standard, wash durability data for treated textiles, and REACH evidence for dyes and finishes.

Standards and testing

EN ISO 12952 for bedding ignitability, EN 1021 for upholstery, national tests such as the French M classification or the German B1, and colour fastness and dimensional stability after industrial laundering.

Language requirements

Fibre composition and care information in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before the product is made available.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and fines, and contractual liability where a hotel fails a fire inspection because of the textiles supplied.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance and consumer protection authorities, and national fire authorities for contract use.

Where the boundary lies

Fire performance is not harmonised, so contract textiles must meet the rules of each market, and a flame retardant treatment that does not survive industrial laundering fails in service even if it passed when new.

Questions we are asked

Are hotel textiles different from consumer ones?

Contract use triggers national fire performance rules that domestic products do not face, and buyers require certificates as a condition of purchase.

Does flame retardancy survive washing?

Only if the treatment is durable and tested after the specified number of industrial wash cycles, which is what buyers should require and rarely do.