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About care labels for clothing and textiles
Care labelling for clothing and textiles covers items such as:
- clothing
- household textiles
- apparel
- furnishings
- upholstered furniture
- bedding, mattresses and bed bases
- piece goods and yarns made from textiles
- plastic and plastic coated fabrics
- suede, skins, hides, leathers, furs.
Care labelling gives you enough information to:
- know how to care for clothing and textile products
- know before you buy what kind of professional care clothing and textile products might need, so that you can check the costs of services like dry cleaning
- understand how to clean clothing and textile products properly, for example, using cold hand wash only
- care for clothing and textile products so they last longer
- avoid damage such as dyes running, for example, knowing when to wash separately.
Things to look for when buying the products
When you buy clothing and textiles you need to know how to care for them properly.
For this reason, there’s a mandatory standard that suppliers must comply with. This standard is the care labelling for clothing and textiles mandatory standard.
The mandatory information standard doesn’t apply to these products.
- Second-hand goods.
- Some types of men’s, women’s, children’s and infant’s wear (unsupported coats – including overcoats, jackets and the like – of PVC film, handkerchiefs, braces, garter suspenders, arm bands, belts, headwear).
- All footwear other than all types of hosiery and textile materials used for manufacturing footwear.
- Drapery such as floor cloths, dish cloths, dusters, cleaning cloths, pressing cloths.
- Haberdashery such as ornaments, artificial flowers, sewing and embroidery threads and all other small items of haberdashery used for making of clothing and textile products.
- Furnishings such as oil baize, window blinds, shade blinds, sun blinds, awnings, floor coverings, light fittings, lampshades, tapestries, wall hangings, ornaments, handicraft items, draught excluders, non-upholstered furniture.
- Cushions and cushion covers manufactured from remnants and labelled by the manufacturer with the following disclaimer ‘cushion cover manufactured from remnant/s, care treatment unknown'.
- Jute products.
- Medical and surgical goods.
- Canvas goods such as beach and garden umbrella coverings.
- Miscellaneous goods such as cords, twines, lashings, garden hose, toys, umbrellas and parasols, shoelaces, woven labels, flex coverings, sporting and gardening gloves, mops, basket hangers, shoe holders, remnants, industrial gloves, polypropylene webbing furniture.
- Articles designed to be thrown away after one use except where included, or intended for one use only, such as disposable plastic rain ponchos or interment garments for the deceased.
- All bags and cases including handbags, purses, wallets, travel bags, school bags, sports bags, briefcases and wash bags.
About care labelling symbols
The mandatory standard allows care instructions to be given by the 5 internationally recognised care symbols.
Each symbol relates to a different aspect of garment care. These symbols have been widely used since 2006 in many countries.
These care symbols are an alternative to the written care instructions. They cover:
- washing (a washtub)
- bleaching (a triangle)
- drying (a square)
- ironing (an iron)
- professional care (a circle).
Meaning of the symbols
|
Symbol |
Description |
|---|---|
      |
Maximum washing temperature shown in Celsius degrees inside the washtub. Normal process. |
    |
Maximum washing temperature shown in Celsius degrees inside the washtub. Mild process. |
  |
Maximum washing temperature shown in Celsius degrees inside the washtub. Very mild process. |
 |
Wash by hand with a maximum washing temperature of 40°C. |
 |
Do not wash. |
|
Symbol |
Description |
|---|---|
 |
Any bleaching agent is allowed. |
 |
Only oxygen/non chlorine bleach (contained in most universal detergents) is permitted. |
 |
Bleaching is not allowed. |
|
Symbol |
Description |
|---|---|
 |
Tumble drying is possible at a low temperature (exhaust temperature maximum 60°C). |
 |
Tumble drying is possible at a normal temperature (exhaust temperature maximum 80°C). |
 |
Do not tumble dry. |
 |
Flat drying. |
 |
Drip flat drying. |
 |
Line drying. |
 |
Drip line drying. |
 |
Flat drying in the shade. |
 |
Drip flat drying in the shade. |
 |
Line drying in the shade. |
 |
Drip line drying in the shade. |
|
Symbol |
Description |
|---|---|
 |
Suitable to iron at low temperatures (maximum plate temperature of 110°C). |
 |
Suitable to iron at moderate temperatures (maximum plate temperature of 150°C). |
 |
Suitable to iron at hot temperatures (maximum plate temperature of 200°C). |
 |
Do not iron. Irreversible changes should be expected if an iron is used. |
|
Symbol |
Description |
|---|---|
 |
Professional dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and hydrocarbons. Normal process. |
 |
Professional dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and hydrocarbons. Mild process. |
 |
Professional dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and hydrocarbons. Very mild process. |
 |
Professional dry cleaning with hydrocarbons. Normal process. |
 |
Professional dry cleaning with hydrocarbons. Mild process. |
 |
Do not dry clean. |
 |
Professional wet cleaning. Normal process. |
 |
Professional wet cleaning. Mild process. |
 |
Professional wet cleaning. Very mild process. |
 |
Do not professional wet clean. |