Care Label

Need for care labels-

• Care labels indicate how to clean textile articles in the best possible way.
Care symbols provide all the necessary information on washing, bleaching,
ironing, dry cleaning and tumble drying.
• Without this information, the consumer will face trouble in deciding on the
appropriate care treatment of the textile item because it does not depend
on the main fabric solely. Indeed, all the components of the textile need be
taken into account: other fibers, accessories, but also dying, finishing
treatments and texture.
• Using care labels provides the consumer with care information he does not
have to decide on. The consumer usually does not have the experience or
technical knowledge to decide which care treatment is suitable. Care
labeling is determined under the responsibility of the garment maker in
common interest of textile manufacturers, drycleaners and of course
consumers.
• Care symbols are recommendations on how to clean a
textile article on which they are affixed; they should not be
considered as a use guaranty neither as a quality mark.
Symbols refer to maximum permissible treatments that a
textile article can bear without irreversible damage. More
severe treatments can always be applied.
• Care labels often are a deciding factor when consumers
shop for clothing. While some consumers look for the
convenience of dry-cleaning, others prefer the economy of
washable garments. In fact, recent surveys show that
consumers want washing instructions on their purchases
• The Care Labeling Rule requires manufacturers and importers
to attach care instructions to clothing and some piece goods.
Thus, the following categories of people/organizations need to
be aware of the use the care labels-
– Manufacturers and importers of textile wearing apparel.
– Manufacturers and importers of piece goods sold to consumers for
making wearing apparel.
– Any person or organization that directs or controls the manufacturing
or importing of textile wearing apparel or piece goods for making
wearing apparel
• Since there are innumerable number of articles coming under the piece goods and
the wearing apparel category, hence as per the FTC (Federal Trade Commission,
USA)has further specified what articles come under the care labeling rules. These
are
– Textile apparel worn to cover or protect the body.
o Exempt apparel: shoes, gloves and hats.
o Excluded items:
Handkerchiefs, belts, suspenders and neckties because they do not cover or
protect the body.
Non-woven garments made for one-time use because they do not
require ordinary care.
– Piece goods sold for making apparel at home.
o Exempt piece goods:
Marked manufacturers' remnants up to 10 yards when the fiber content is not
known and cannot easily be determined
Trim up to 5 inches wide.
The Rules state clearly the requirements and instructions to be followed by
the manufacturers, importers for the labeling of the items. This include-
• Providing complete instructions about regular care for the garment, or
provide warnings if the garment cannot be cleaned without harm.
• Ensuring that care labeling instructions, if followed, will cause no
substantial harm to the product.
• Warning consumers about certain procedures that they may assume to
be consistent with the instructions on the label, but that would harm the
product. For example, if a pair of pants is labeled for washing, consumers
may assume they can iron them. If ironing would harm the pants, the
label should read, "Do not iron."
• Ensuring that care labels remain attached and legible throughout the
useful life of the product.
• Label must be attached so they can be seen or easily found by consumers at the point of
sale.
• If labels can't be seen easily because of packaging, additional care information must
appear on the outside of the package or on a hang tag attached to the product.
• Labels must be attached permanently and securely and be legible during the useful life of
the product.
• A garment that consists of two or more parts and is always sold as a unit needs only one
care label if the care instructions are the same for all the pieces. The label should be
attached to the major piece of the suit. If the suit pieces require different care instructions
or are designed to be sold separately, like coordinates, then each item must have its own
care label.
Labeling piece goods:
• Manufacturers and importers must provide care information clearly and conspicuously on
the end of each roll or bolt of fabric. The information should apply to the fabric on the roll
or bolt, not to the items the consumer might add to the fabric, such as trim, lining or
buttons.
Reasonable Basis:
All labeling must have a reasonable basis for the care instructions, including warnings.
“Dryclean Only”
• In some cases, experience and industry expertise can serve as a reasonable basis. In
other instances - for example, when a dye is used that is known to bleed or when
beads that are known to be damaged often in drycleaning are used - test results
showing that the garment can be cleaned as recommended without damage may be
required.
When a garment contains several components, reliable evidence must be there to
show that the garment as a whole will not be damaged when cleaned as directed. The
updated Rule clarifies that results of tests on components of garments can serve as a
reasonable basis as long as you have reliable evidence supporting the care instructions
for the garment as a whole. For example, testing the components of a garment is not
an adequate basis for a "wash" instruction if the color of one part bleeds onto another
when the finished garment is washed.
• Internationally, many countries follow different care instructions and have different laws and
rules governing the same. The International Association for Textile Care Labelling (GINETEX)
had, therefore, developed a language-independent care labelling system in 1975.
•With an aim to promote voluntary care labeling on international basis, the GINETEX care
labelling system (or international care labeling system) mainly uses symbols to provide care
instructions. ISO 3758 1991 provides a code of reference for the use of these symbols.
•The system consists of five basic symbols and their full descriptions are shown in the
following.
•Note: A cross on any of them means that the treatment shall not be used and a bar under
the
•symbols indicates milder treatment is needed (broken bar indicates a very mild treatment).
•The International Association for Textile Care Labelling (GINETEX) has developed a language-
•independent care labelling system in 1975.
•With an aim to promote voluntary care labelling on international basis, the GINETEX care
labelling system (or international care labelling system) mainly uses symbols to provide care
instructions. ISO 3758 1991 provides a code of reference for the use of these symbols.
Five Basic symbols
Washing
One: Washing by hand or by machine:
• The label must say whether the product should be washed by hand or
machine. The label also must give a water temperature setting if regular
use of hot water will harm the product.
Two: Bleaching
• If all commercially available bleaches can be used on a regular basis
without harming the product, the label does not have to mention bleach.
• If using chlorine bleach on a regular basis would harm the product, but
using non-chlorine bleach on a regular basis would not, the label must say,
"Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed.“
• If all commercially available bleaches would harm the product when used
on a regular basis, the label must say "No bleach" or "Do not bleach."
Three: Drying
• The label must say whether the product should be dried
by machine or some other method. Unless regular use of
high temperature will harm the product when machine
dried, it is not necessary to indicate a temperature setting.
Four: Ironing
• Ironing information must be given on a care label if ironing
will be needed on a regular basis. If regular use of a hot
iron will not harm a product, it is not necessary to indicate
a temperature setting.
Five: Warnings (including dry cleaning)
• If the consumer reasonably could be expected to use a care procedure that
would harm the product, the label must contain a warning like "Do not,"
"No," "Only," to warn against the harmful procedure. For example, if ironing
will harm a garment, even if ironing is not regularly needed, the label should
state, "Do not iron" if the customer can be expected to "touch up" the
garment occasionally.
• If a care procedure on one product could cause harm to another product
being washed with it, a warning must be included. For example, if an item is
not colorfast, the label must say, "Wash with like colors" or "Wash
separately."
• Warnings are not necessary for alternative procedures that could be
harmful. For example, if the instructions state, "Dry flat," it's not necessary
to state, "Do not tumble dry."
Dry cleaning Instructions
•A simple "dryclean" instruction may be used under two conditions. First, if all commercially
available types of solvent can be used, the label doesn't have to mention any particular type of
solvent. If one or more solvents would harm the product, however, a safe solvent must be
mentioned. (For example, "Dryclean, petroleum solvent.") Second, a simple "dryclean" may be
used if the drycleaning process, as defined in the Rule, can be used on the garment with no
modifications. If any part of the drycleaning process would harm the product, the "dryclean“
instruction must include a warning to avoid or modify that part of the process. "Do not," "No,“
"Only," or other clear wording must be used. For example, if steam would damage a garment, the
label should say, "Dryclean. No steam." In this situation, where a modification must be made to
the normal drycleaning process, you may, if you wish, say, "Professionally dryclean. No steam.“
But "Professionally dryclean" should not be used where there is no need to modify the normal
drycleaning process, and it should only be used with the instructions for modifying the process.
(E.g., "Professionally dryclean. No steam.") By itself, "Professionally dryclean" is not an adequate
instruction.
•Remember that "Dryclean Only" is a warning that the garment cannot be washed. For any
warning on the label, you must have evidence that the process warned against will damage the
garment. You may label garments "Dryclean Only," but only if you have evidence that washing will
damage the garment.
 Canadian System
• The system consists of five basic symbols which are illustrated in three
traffic light colours, with green colour indicates no special precautions, a
red colour indicates prohibition and orange colour suggests that
precautions necessary. Words in English and French may be used, in
addition to the symbols conveying special instructions not covered by one
of the basic symbols. The five symbols must appear in the following order
on the care labels: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry-cleaning.
 Australian system
• Similar to the US care labelling system, the Australian system uses words with a
few symbols to describe the care instructions. Based on Australian Standard 1957-
1987, phrases and symbols used in laundering and dry-cleaning instructions fall
into five categories: general and warnings, washing, drying, ironing and dry-
cleaning. REMOVE TRIMS Trims which may be adversely
DESIGNED TO FADE affected
NON-COLOURFAST by cleaning process as
instructed need
to be removed.
GARMENT SIZED TO ALLOW For garment that is larger than
SHRINKAGE marked
size to allow for known
shrinkage.

WASH BEFORE WEARING For sheepskin 1 car seat

REMOVE FIXING CORDS covers.
REMOVE WITH COARSE STIFF For sheepskin products.
BRUSH WHILE STILL DAMP TO
RESTORE PILE
 WASHING
FULLY WASHABLE No special precautions necessary
WASH SEPARATELY
USE BAR SOAP ONLY For sheep skin
USE PURE SOAP FLADES OR BAR SOAP
ONLY
USE A LITTLE PURE HOUSEHOLD
ANTISEPTIC IF DESIRED
DO NOT SOAK For products which might bleed coulur
when left we for a considerable of time.
DO NOT USE SOAP-WASH IN SYNTHETIC for leather goods or fabric having special
DETERGENT treatment.
DO NOT WASH This phrase is considered to be a stronger
treatment
DO NOT STARCH For leather goods or fabric having special
DO NOT BOIL treatment.
DO NOT BLEACH
DO NOT HAND WRING No hand twisting is allowed. Instead hand
Do not spin wringer or wringing machine can be used.
DO NOT SOAK FOR PROLONGED PERIODS For Sheep skin products
DO NOT USE BLEACH, DETERGENTS OR
EXZYME WASHING PRODUCTS
COLD WASH Use normal water supply temperature.
WARK WASH Use water of max temperature of 40 C
HOT WASH Use water of max temperature of 60 C
VERU JPT WASH Use water of max temperature of 85 C
BOIL Use water of max temperature of 100 c
HAND WASH Hand wash with moderate squeezing or
HAND WASH rubbing
SHORT MACHINE WASH A shorter than normal process or reduced
agitation.
GENTLE MACHINE WASH Low mechanical action- slow speed
MACHINE WASH NORMAL WASHING PROCESS
COLD RINSE
WARM RINSE
COLD RINSE WELL
WARM RINSE WELL For products containing fibers which are
NORMAL SPIN subject to the thermal shock
REDUCED SPIN SPIN TO BE REDUCED IN SPEED OR
GENTLE SPIN SHORTENED IN CYCLE.
NORMAL SPIN – FLECE OUT FOR SHEEPSKIN PRODUCTS.

DRYING

DRIP DRY
DRY AWAY FROM DIRECT HEAT
DRY IN SHADE
GENTLY PULL TO SHAPE
DRY FLAT
DRY FLAT
DRY FLAT IN SHADE
DRY WITHOUT DELAY
HANG BY CORNERS AND DRY IN
SHADE

DO NOT LINE DRY Do not hang damp from line.

DO NOT TUMBLE DRY
MAY BE TUMBLE DRIED- COLD
MAY BE TUMBLE DRIED – WARM
MAY BE TUMBLE DRIED - HOT
IRONING
DO NOT IRON For fabrics containing chloro-
DO NOT STEAM IRON fibers and PVA (polyvinyl
IRON WHEN DRY alcohol).
IRON UNDER DAMP CLOTH
IRON UNDER DRY CLOTH
Generally recommended for:
COOL IRON Fabric containing acrylic,
elastomeric (polyurethane) or
modacrylic fibers (120 C)

WORK IRON Fabric containing acetate,

polyamide (nylon), polyester
fibres or wool (150 C)
MEDIUM HOT IRON Fabric containing triacetate or
rayon (180 C)
HOT IRON COTTON AND LINEN (200 C)
DRY-CLEANING

DO NOT DRYCLEAN For products where steam or

DRYCLEAN – NO STEAM steam pressing could cause
DRYCLEANABLE- NO WATER damage or shrinkage.
IN SYSTEM For sheepskin products.

DRYCLEAN ONLY Where washing is

DRYCLEANABLE inappropriate.
DRYCLEANING
RECOMMENDED Where this cleaning process is
considered preferable to
washing, although the latter
may be permissible.
Machine washable in max water temp
of 40 C
Machine washable at slow water current
or gentle hand wash in max water temp
of 40 C
Machine washable at slow water current
or gentle hand wash in max water
temperature of 30 C

Should be washed gentle by hand

Cannot be washed with water

Chlorine-based bleaching allowed.

Do not use chlorine based bleach.

Ironing