ISO 18696:2006适用于任何可能或可能未进行防水或拒水整理的纺织面料。它通过滚筒罐吸收试验测量织物的抗水湿性。它特别适用于测量织物整理剂的拒水效果，因为它使经过处理的织物处于与实际使用中经常遇到的情况类似的动态条件下。 该试验不用于预测织物的抗雨水渗透性，因为它测量的是织物对水的吸收，而不是通过织物。它旨在确定织物的抗吸水能力，并可用于预测实际使用中服装的可能增重。该测试最适用于在恶劣潮湿环境下长时间使用的服装面料。

ISO 18696:2006 is applicable to any textile fabric, which may or may not have been given a water-resistant or water-repellent finish. It measures the resistance of fabrics to wetting by water by the tumble-jar absorption test. It is particularly suitable for measuring the water-repellent efficacy of finishes applied to fabrics, because it subjects the treated fabrics to dynamic conditions similar to those often encountered during actual use. The test is not intended for use in predicting rain-penetration resistance of fabrics, since it measures absorption of water into, but not through, the fabric. It is intended to determine a fabric's ability to resist water absorption and can be used to predict the probable weight gain of a garment in actual use. The test is best suited for fabrics used in garments for severe wet environmental conditions over an extended time.