Fashion Law Journal Tools

Care label symbol decoder

Every washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional care symbol used on apparel, with what it actually instructs and the compliance point behind it. Tap any symbol to open the detail.

Symbols decoded

Care families

ISO 3758

Reference standard

Tap a symbol

Dots mean temperature. Bars underneath mean reduced mechanical action. A cross means the process is prohibited.

Washing

Wash at 30C

Wash at 40C

Wash at 50C

Wash at 60C

Wash at 70C

Wash at 95C

Mild wash cycle

Very mild wash cycle

Hand wash only

Do not wash

Bleaching

Any bleach allowed

Non-chlorine bleach only

Do not bleach

Drying

Tumble dry

Tumble dry low

Tumble dry medium

Tumble dry high

Do not tumble dry

Line dry

Drip dry

Dry flat

Dry in the shade

Ironing

Iron on low

Iron on medium

Iron on high

Do not iron

Do not steam

Professional care

Dry clean, any solvent

Dry clean, P solvents

Dry clean, P, mild

Dry clean, F solvents

Do not dry clean

Professional wet clean

Wet clean, mild

Do not wet clean

Care symbols are standardised under ISO 3758 and, in the United States, are governed by the FTC Care Labeling Rule at 16 CFR Part 423. The GINETEX symbol set is protected and licensed in a number of European markets. This decoder is published for information and is not legal advice on labelling compliance for any particular product.

Why care labelling is a legal question

Reasonable basisA care instruction is a representation about the product. Regulators expect the seller to hold evidence, usually wash test data, that the garment survives what the label promises.

PermanenceThe label has to remain legible for the useful life of the garment. A care panel that fades after ten washes is itself non compliant, however accurate the original text.

Symbol licensingThe GINETEX care symbols are registered marks licensed through national bodies. Commercial use without a licence raises a trade mark issue separate from labelling law.