Textile care symbol

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A textile care symbol or care symbol is a pictogram to identify the type of treatment recommended by the manufacturer for textiles in relation to washing , bleaching , drying , ironing and professional cleaning . They are usually attached to the laundry in the form of a sewn-in label to make it easier for consumers to care for their textiles.

The pictograms used today in Europe for labeling textiles were registered under trademark law in 1958 (Madrid Agreement) and introduced in 1963 by the International Organization for Textile Care Labels - which was renamed GINETEX (Groupement International d'Etiquetage pour l'Entretien des Textiles) in 1975 . The use of the care symbols requires a license from a national GINETEX member organization.

The currently valid international standard for care labeling is ISO 3758: 2012. It regulates the care labeling so that this can be done uniformly worldwide. In the USA, Japan and South Korea there are different symbols, which are regulated in national standards and laws.

  • Care symbols in a Japanese garment

  • Label with care symbols

General

The care label indicates the maximum permissible type of treatment that is possible in the long term under practical conditions without damaging the textile. It does not say whether this treatment is necessary or sufficient . A milder treatment than the one indicated is always permissible. The symbols are protected. Their use requires compliance with the license conditions: Inappropriate labeling is prohibited. The symbols must always be indicated without any gaps in the prescribed sequence washing , bleaching , drying , ironing , professional cleaning and must remain legible over the entire service life of the textile. A bar under the respective symbol demands a (mechanically) gentler treatment than usual, a double bar a particularly gentle treatment. The cross means that the type of treatment is not allowed and damages the textile.

To wash

Washing is represented by a stylized washtub ; the number in the tub means the maximum permissible washing temperature (in degrees Celsius). The symbol allows hand or machine washing. If there is no special note, a normal wash cycle is permitted. A bar under the tub (underlining) requires a mechanically gentler treatment, i.e. an easy-care or gentle wash program in the machine (drum only half full of laundry, high water level, gentle spinning). A tub that is underlined twice requires particularly gentle treatment, e.g. a wool wash cycle or a gentle cycle (drum only 1/3 full of laundry, increased water level, greatly reduced movement, wool spin or no spin at all). One hand in the tub allows only (gentle) hand washing (not over 40 ° C), and a diagonally crossed tub means that the textile must not be washed at all under normal household conditions.

  • Washing in general

  • Do not wash

  • Hand wash

  • Wash at 30 ° C

  • Wash 30 ° C
    (gentle)
    (gentle spin)

  • Wash 30 ° C
    (very gentle / wool)
    ( wool spin / no spin)

bleaching

An empty triangle (formerly with the letter Cl ) allows bleaching with chlorine or oxygen , two inclined lines in the triangle only allow oxygen as a bleaching agent. A diagonally crossed triangle prohibits any bleaching, and detergents containing bleach (such as heavy-duty detergents) must not be used.

  • Any bleaching allowed (chlorine and oxygen)

  • Oxygen bleaching allowed

  • Bleaching with chlorine permitted (outdated, use no longer permitted)

  • Bleaching not allowed

  • Bleaching not allowed (outdated, use no longer allowed)

dry

A circle in a square allows machine drying in the tumble dryer . One point requires drying at a reduced temperature, two stand for normal temperature. The symbol crossed diagonally means that the article cannot be machine dried. The information on drying only applies to normal household conditions, but not to professional textile care. In the USA and Japan there are other pictograms for natural drying.

Drum drying

  • Drum drying in general

  • Drum drying low temperature (gentle)

  • Drum drying normal

  • Do not tumble dry

Natural drying

  • Drying (general)

  • Drying on the line (symbol only used in the USA, not allowed internationally according to ISO standard)

  • Dry flat

  • Dry dripping wet (symbol only used in the USA, international according to ISO standard not allowed)

  • Dry in the shade (only symbol used in the USA, internationally not allowed according to ISO standard)

  • Drying on the line in the shade (only symbol used in the USA, internationally not allowed according to ISO standard)

  • Dry lying flat in the shade (symbol only used in the USA, internationally not allowed according to ISO standard)

  • Dry dripping wet in the shade (only symbol used in the USA, international according to ISO standard not allowed)

Iron

The iron with up to three points allows ironing, with the points indicating the temperature range for regulator irons . Temperatures are assigned to the respective number of points: One point means 110 ° C, two points 150 ° C and three points 200 ° C. An iron with a diagonal cross prohibits ironing. One point must not be ironed with steam .

  • General ironing

  • Iron at a low temperature

  • Iron at medium temperature

  • Iron at high temperature

  • Do not iron

Professional cleaning

A circle provides information about the possibilities of professional cleaning. One bar below the pictogram means gentle cleaning , two bars mean very gentle cleaning .

Chemical cleaning

In principle, the circle stands for every type of professional textile cleaning.

  • Professional cleaning

  • Anything possible (outdated, no longer allowed)

  • Do not dry clean

The letters P or F in a circle represent the different solvents that are used in professional dry cleaning . "P" allows cleaning with perchlorethylene or, alternatively, hydrocarbons. The “F” (originally for “flammable” / “inflammable”, which meant (heavy) petrol, CFC was also used at times, but the symbol is older) only allows hydrocarbon solvents. A stands for A ll (non-aqueous) solvents (according to information from GINETEX Switzerland, this symbol is no longer used).

  • Clean with hydrocarbon solvent

  • Clean gently with a hydrocarbon solvent

  • Clean very gently with hydrocarbon solvents

  • Cleaning with perchlorethylene

  • Clean gently with perchlorethylene

  • Clean very gently with perchlorethylene

The use of the solvents R11 (monofluorotrichloroethane) and R113 (trifluorotrichloroethane), as described in many outdated sources, is no longer recommended today. Monofluorotrichloroethane (R11) is well suited for dissolving fats and oils, but it can attack modern substances marked with the "F" label. Trifluorotrichloroethane (R113) removes stains properly from textiles, but is no longer allowed to be used due to its considerable health risk.

Wet cleaning

Professional wet cleaning is a process in which cleaning is carried out with alkaline solutions on an aqueous basis. This method is superior to cleaning in a household washing machine.

The "W" (wet, English for wet) in a circle as a symbol for professional wet cleaning was included in the series of symbols in 2005. This means that four new pictograms have been added under the textile care category.

  • Professional wet cleaning

  • Gentle professional wet cleaning

  • Very gentle professional wet cleaning

  • Professional wet cleaning not allowed (outdated, no longer allowed)

See also

Web links

Commons : Fabric Care Symbols  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ EUIPO / europa.eu: International registration
  2. ↑ Bleach symbols . waschsymbole.net. Accessed on February 21, 2018: "Bleaching agents and heavy-duty detergents must not be used, otherwise the laundry can be permanently damaged."
  3. ↑ Cleaning symbols . waschsymbole.net. Retrieved February 21, 2018.