1.1 This standard is a compilation of all terminology developed by Subcommittee D13.62 on Labeling and related to refurbishing and labeling for apparel, textile, home furnishing, and leather products other than upholstered furniture and floor coverings.
1.2 This terminology provides a uniform language for the disclosure of care instructions on labels that are to be attached to apparel, textile, home furnishing, and leather products.
1.3 In the United States, apparel care labels must be attached permanently except when exempted by Federal Trade Commission regulation (see section 2.2).
1.4 These definitions and descriptions employ common meanings used not only by textile technologists but also by consumers.
1.5 These instructions may apply to some accessory products.
1.6 The standardized terminology should be used on the label in a logical refurbishing sequence (wash, bleach, dry, iron, dryclean, wetclean), in order to disclose maximum information in a small label space and to help the consumer understand recommended practices.
1.7 Preliminary instructions may be necessary for proper care of certain products (see Table 1, Preliminary Instructions).
1.8 The wording on a care label should be brief. Manufacturers are encouraged to place more detailed explanations in or on package covers, or in some temporary form of communication such as a sticker or hangtag. The terms used should be consistent with those used on care labels.
1.9 The word “only“ in any care label term limits that portion of the procedure to the stated instruction.
1.10 A care instruction for a product is applicable to all components of the product including nonremovable linings, trim, and other details. Any exceptions should be a part of the labeled instruction. An intentionally removable component, such as a zip-out liner, is expected to be separately labeled when it must be cared for differently from the garment itself, or when there could be serious doubt about what procedure to use (see Federal Trade Commission Trade Regulation Rule).
1.11 Laundering temperatures are maximum and vary widely in national and international practice (see Table 2). Consumers may obtain water temperatures in their washing machines which are frequently below and sometimes higher than the stated maximum temperature. The actual water temperature obtained when using the washing machine settings of hot, warm, and cold vary in North America by region, season, water heater settings (including solar), and regulations governing factory-set mixes. In general, North American washing machines do not have internal heaters.
1.12 This terminology is unique to the care of textile and leather products. Meanings of the same terms outside the industry can be found in other compilations or dictionaries of general usage.
1.13 In addition to being a specialized dictionary, Terminology D 3136 is also useful for managing the subcommittee’s terminology.
1.14 Terms listed are under the jurisdiction of SC D13.62.
1.15 For definitions of other textile terms, see Terminology D 123.
TABLE 1 Label Terms and Detailed Instructions
| Label Term | Detailed Instructions |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Instructions | |
| Remove … before | Component may not be cleaned or may be cared for differently or separately than the product itself; assumes component can be removed. |
| Close fasteners | Self explanatory. Action protects zippers and hook and loop tapes from damage or protects the garment from damage by the zipper and hook and loop tape. |
| Inside-out | Turn garment inside-out before cleaning to protect the face of fabric. |
| With like colors | Clean with colors of similar hue and shade depth. |
| Separately | Clean product by itself. |
| Before use | Clean before first use. |
| Home Laundering | |
| Machine wash | Use any home-type or coin-operated washing machine following the manufacturer’s instructions as appropriate for the product. |
| Hot | Set water temperature control on washer to use hot water directly from the hot water supply, maximum temperature 50°C (120°F) (See 1.11). |
| Warm | Set water temperature control on washer to use warm water, maximum 40°C (105°F) (See 1.11). |
| Cold | Set water temperature control on washer to use cold water directly from cold water supply, maximum temperature 30°C (85°F) (See 1.11). |
| Small load | Use smaller than normal load of products based on manufacturer’s instructions. |
| Delicate or gentle cycle | Set machine to give slow agitation, slow spin, and reduced time. |
| Durable-press cycle or Permanent-press cycle | Use a cool-down rinse or cold rinse before reduced spinning. |
| Bleach when needed | Any household laundry bleach may be used when necessary. |
| Only non-chlorine bleach when needed | Use non-chlorine bleach only when necessary. Chlorine bleach may not be used. |
| Do not bleach | No bleaches may be used. |
| Warm rinse | Set water temperature control on washer to use warm rinse water, maximum temperature 40°C (105°F) (See 1.11). |
| Cold rinse | Set water temperature control on washer to use cold rinse water directly from cold water supply, maximum temperature 30°C (85°F) (See 1.11). |
| Rinse twice | Rinse at least two times to remove detergent, soap, and bleach. |
| Do not add fabric softener | No fabric softener may be used. |
| Do not spin | Remove material prior to start of final spin cycle. |
| Do not wring | Do not use roller wringer. Do not wring by hand. |
| Hand wash | Manually remove soil from products or specimen by gently squeezing them in a water solution of detergent or soap. |
| Dry promptly | Remove promptly after washing is complete and dry. |
| Do not allow to sit wet after washing | Color transfer may occur if items sit wet after washing. |
| Do not wash | Self-explanatory. Item may not be washed. |
| Damp wipe only | Surface clean with damp cloth or sponge. |
| Do not commercially launder | Do not employ a laundry which uses special formulations, sour rinses, extremely large loads or extremely high temperatures or which otherwise is employed for commercial, industrial or institutional use. Employ laundering methods designed for residential use or use in a self-service establishment. |
| Drying, All Methods | |
| Tumble dry | Use machine dryer. |
| Hot–high | Set dryer at high temperature. |
| –medium | Set dryer at medium temperature. |
| –low | Set dryer at low temperature. |
| Durable-press or permanent press | Set dryer at durable (permanent) press setting. |
| No heat or air fluff only | Set dryer to operate without heat. |
| Remove promptly | When items are dry, remove immediately to prevent wrinkling. |
| Drip dry | Hang dripping wet without twisting, wringing, or spinning, and without hand shaping and smoothing. |
| Line dry | Hang damp after twisting, wringing, spinning or squeezing by hand. |
| Dry flat | Lay out horizontally for drying. |
| Dry in shade | Dry away from the sun. |
| Block to dry | By hand while wet, reshape to original dimensions. |
| Smooth by hand | By hand while wet, remove wrinkles, straighten seams and facings. |
| Reshape and dry flat | By hand while wet, reshape to original dimensions. |
| Ironing and Pressing | |
| Iron, high | Use high temperature setting. |
| Iron, medium | Use medium temperature setting. |
| Iron on lowest setting | Use lowest temperature setting. |
| Do not iron | Item not to be smoothed or finished with an iron. |
| Iron reverse side only | Turn article inside out for ironing or pressing. |
| Do not steam | Do not use steam in any form. |
| Steam only | Use steam without contact pressure. |
| Steam iron | Use iron containing water at steam setting. |
| Press | Commercial utility press may be used. |
| Iron damp | Moisten articles before ironing. |
| Use press cloth | Place either a dry or a damp cloth between the iron and the fabric. |
| Do not iron decoration | Avoid ironing decoration applied to textile product. |
| Drycleaning, All Methods | |
| Professionally dryclean | Use the drycleaning process but modified to aid in optimizing results either by a drycleaning attendant or through the use of a drycleaning machine which permits such modifications or both. Such modifications or special warnings must be included in the care instruction. |
| Petroleum, Fluorocarbon or Perchloroethylene | Employ solvent(s) specified to dryclean the item. |
| Short cycle | Use reduced or minimum cleaning time, the exact time to depend upon solvent used. |
| Minimum extraction | Use least possible extraction time. |
| Reduced moisture | Use decreased solvent relative humidity (S.R.H.). The decreased S.R.H. should be measured in the final stages of the drycleaning wash procedure. |
| No tumble or do not tumble | Do not tumble dry. |
| Tumble warm | Tumble dry up to 65°C (150°F), as measured at the outlet stack. |
| Tumble cool | Tumble dry with room temperature air. |
| Cabinet dry warm | Cabinet dry up to 50°C (120°F). |
| Cabinet dry cool | Cabinet dry with room temperature air. |
| Steam only | Employ no contact pressure when steaming. |
| No steam | Do not use steam in pressing, finishing, steam cabinets or wands. |
| Do not dryclean | Self-explanatory. |
| Leather Cleaning | |
| Suede leather clean | Use special leather care methods designed for sueded leathers having a raised surface. |
| Fur clean | Clean in a drum type machine using dry particle cleaning compounds. Follow with fur ironing or fur glazing as needed. |
| Professional leather clean only | Have cleaned only by a professional cleaner who uses special leather or suede care methods. |
TABLE 2 Laundering Water Temperatures In Common UseA
| Term | ASTM ISOB | FTC | AATCCC,D | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near boil | 95°C (200°F) | 95°C | ||
| Extremely hot | 70°C (160°F) | 70°C | ||
| Very Hot | 60°C (140°F) | 60°C (140°F) | 60°C | |
| Hot | 50°C (120°F) | 66°C (150°F) | 49°C (120°F) | 50°C |
| Warm | 40°C (105°F) | 32° to 43°C (90° to 110°F) |
41°C (105°F) | 40°C |
| Cool | 30°C (85°F) | 30°C | ||
| Cold | 30°C (85°F) | 29°C (85°F) | 27°C (80°F) | |
| Very Cold | 16°C (60°F) |
A The laundering temperatures in Table 2 are maximum.
B The ISO standard, “ISO 3758 Textiles–Care Labeling Code Using Symbols,“ does not associate the terms hot, warm, and cold with water temperatures for laundering. The ISO washing symbols provide maximum water temperature options of 95°C, 70°C, 60°C, 50°C, 40°C, and 30°C in Celsius only. Guide D 5489 requires as a minimum the laundering water temperatures reported within the washtub symbol in degree Celsius and a dot system symbol. The water temperature may also be reported in degrees Fehrenheit.
C The AATCC temperatures are test temperatures for home laundering, whereas the FTC and Canada temperatures are meant to reflect the upper end of temperatures in actual use, including temperatures used in commercial laundering.
D The AATCC temperatures in Celsius have a range of ± 3 degrees Celsius and the water temperatures in Fahrenheit havea range of ± 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Product Details
- Published:
- 07/01/2008
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- 5
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