Laundry Care Labels Explained: What the Words and Symbols Mean

Care labels tell you a safe way to clean a garment. Under the FTC Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423), most clothing sold in the US must have care instructions, written in words or in the ASTM D5489 symbol system, which covers washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning.

What the rule says

The rule requires makers to give instructions for regular care and to warn about methods that would harm the garment. They may use the ASTM symbol system in place of words, as long as the symbols meet the rule’s requirements. The rule also defines the common terms, which are worth knowing because they are what the symbols stand for.

Washing

• Machine wash: wash with water, detergent and agitation in a machine.
• No temperature given: under the rule, hot water up to 145°F can be used regularly.
• Warm / cold: use that temperature or lower.
• Hand wash: wash by hand, gently.

Bleaching

• Bleach when needed: any bleach may be used.
• Only non-chlorine bleach: chlorine bleach would damage the garment.
• No bleach: don’t use any.

Drying

• Tumble dry: machine dry; with no setting given, hot may be used.
• Medium / Low / Permanent press: use that dryer setting.
• No heat: tumble without heat.
• Line dry / dry flat: hang or lay flat, no dryer.
• Remove promptly: take it out as soon as it’s dry to prevent wrinkles.

Ironing

Labels tell you whether to iron and at what temperature, or not to iron at all.

Professional cleaning

Labels can say dry clean, and sometimes add limits (for example, a specific process or no steam). Put those items in your dry-cleaning bag.

What we do with the label, so you don’t have to

Bag your clothes by type (laundry, dry cleaning, leather, shoes) and we handle the rest. Items are checked before cleaning; anything in the wrong bag is flagged. If you chose hang-dry for delicates in your preferences, those are air-dried and never go in the dryer. See wash & fold and dry cleaning.

Questions