A label that appears washable is not proven to remain legible on a container in service. Test it with the container material and actual cleaning process; define acceptance criteria before use.

Set up a trial group

Apply candidate labels to the same container type. Record surface, print method, adhesive, cleaning agent and temperature or drying steps. Do not assume compatibility with a chemical absent from supplier documentation.

Run the real operating cycle

Put trial containers through normal washing, drying, storage and handling. Set and record the cycle count in a representative site test plan; do not compare cycle counts from different facilities as if conditions were identical.

At each stage, inspect lifting, text legibility and code scanning. Match scan results to the container ID, location and status record. If a test fails, keep containers out of inventory circulation, change the label/process combination and retest.