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What are care labels?
Care labels indicate how to clean textile articles in the best possible way. Care symbols provide all the necessary information on washing, bleaching, ironing, dry cleaning and tumble drying.

Without this information, the consumer will face trouble in deciding on the appropriate care treatment of the textile item because it does not depend on the main fabric solely. Indeed, all the components of the textile need be taken into account: other fibres, accessories, but also dying, finishing treatments and texture.

Using care labels provides the consumer with care information he does not have to decide on. Indeed, the consumer usually does not have the experience or technical knowledge to decide which care treatment is suitable.Care labelling is determined under the responsibility of the garment maker in common interest of textile manufacturers, drycleaners and of course consumers.

Thus care symbols are recommandations on how to clean a textile article on which they are affixed, they should not be considered as a use guaranty neither as a quality mark. Symbols refer to maximum permissible treatments that a textile article can bear without irreversible damage. More severe treatments can always be applied.

Who is responsible for labeling and when?
The manufacturer is responsible for proper labeling of textile fiber products when they are ready for sale or delivery to the consumer.

A "manufacturer" is defined as any person or firm who manufactures, produces or in any way processes textile fibers or products made from them. A textile fiber product is considered "ready for sale or delivery" to the ultimate consumer when the manufacturing or processing of the product is basically complete. Small details, such as finishing a hem or attaching buttons, do not excuse the product from the labeling requirement.

Wool must be labeled as soon as it is converted into a manufactured form, that is, when the fiber is blended, dyed, combed or twisted in any manner. (Products intended for export to a foreign country are exempted.) The importer is responsible for proper labeling of imported textile products. Custom merchants and tailors are responsible for showing properly labeled bolts, samples and swatches to customers.

There are three different categories of labeling requirements that affect textile products:
(1) Fiber content
(2) Country of origin
(3) Care instruction

Complying with the Rule
The Care Labeling Rule requires manufacturers and importers to attach care instructions to clothing and some piece goods.

Relevant to

Manufacturers and importers of textile wearing apparel.
Manufacturers and importers of piece goods sold to consumers for making wearing apparel.
Any person or organization that directs or controls the manufacturing or importing of textile wearing apparel or piece goods for making wearing apparel.

Instructions and Warnings
You must:

Provide complete instructions about regular care for the garment, or provide warnings if the garment cannot be cleaned without harm.
Ensure that care labeling instructions, if followed, will cause no substantial harm to the product.
Warn consumers about certain procedures that they may assume to be consistent with the instructions on the label, but that would harm the product. For example, if a pair of pants is labeled for washing, consumers may assume they can iron them. If the pants would be harmed by ironing, the label should read, "Do not iron."
Ensure that care labels remain attached and legible throughout the useful life of the product.

Flammability labels
Children's sleepwear, mattress pads, carpets and rugs sold in the United States are usually labeled "Flame resistant." They are required by law to meet special flammability standards.
Yard goods intended for children's sleepwear will also be labeled on the fabric bolt end with a statement such as "Flame resistant, safe for children's sleepwear." Often cotton flannelettes and other fabrics of similar weight and textures that are not treated for flame resistance will be labeled "Not suitable for children's sleepwear."
Flame resistant fabrics are not flameproof. Under certain conditions, they will still burn, but generally they ignite with difficulty, burn slowly and self-extinguish when the source of heat and flame is removed. Manufacturers must include special instructions for care necessary to preserve flame-resistant properties.

Labels for piece goods
Manufacturers and importers of piece goods fabrics (yard goods) are required to provide consumer information clearly and conspicuously on the end of each bolt or roll of fabric. Care instructions must follow the rules previously stated.
Manufacturers are no longer required to provide fabric retailers with care labels to give to consumers to sew into the clothes they make, although many have labels available and will provide them to consumers who ask for them.

Labels about dimensional stability
Some fabrics shrink or stretch out of shape during use and care. A few terms may appear on the label to help inform consumers about the dimensional stability of a textile product.

Preshrunk means some shrinking procedure has been followed but does not indicate how much more the textile product will shrink during use and care.
3 Percent Shrinkage means that the item may shrink as much as one inch per yard of fabric, resulting in the loss of almost one garment size.
Prewashed is sometimes used on denim to indicate a softer fabric with some color fading. The garment is less likely to shrink when washed.
SanforizedTM, Sanfor-KnitTM, and Sanfor-SetTM are trademarks owned by Cluett, Peabody and Co. SanforizedTM signifies that the woven cotton or cotton blend fabric has been tested and conforms to a precise standard of effective shrinkage control.
Sanfor-KnitTM signifies high standards of shrinkage control and easy-care performance in 100 percent cotton and cotton-blend knit fabrics and garments. Sanfor-SetTM signifies that the woven cotton or cotton-blend fabric conforms to precise standard of shrinkage control and easy-care performance.

Reasonable Basis
You must have a reasonable basis for all care instructions, including warnings. That means you must have reliable evidence to support the care instructions. For example, you cannot say "Dryclean Only" unless you have proof that washing is harmful to the garment. What constitutes reliable evidence depends on several factors.

In some cases, experience and industry expertise can serve as a reasonable basis.
In other instances - for example, when a dye is used that is known to bleed or when beads that are known to be damaged often in drycleaning are used - test results showing that the garment can be cleaned as recommended without damage may be required.
When a garment contains several components, you must have reliable evidence showing that the garment as a whole will not be damaged when cleaned as directed. The updated Rule clarifies that results of tests on components of garments can serve as a reasonable basis as long as you have reliable evidence supporting the care instructions for the garment as a whole. For example, testing the components of a garment is not an adequate basis for a "wash" instruction if the color of one part bleeds onto another when the finished garment is washed.

When to Label Garments

Domestic manufacturers must attach care labels to finished products before they sell them.
Importers must ensure that care labels are attached to products before they sell them in to different countries.

Labeling Clothing

Labels must be attached so they can be seen or easily found by consumers at the point of sale.
If labels can't be seen easily because of packaging, additional care information must appear on the outside of the package or on a hang tag attached to the product.
Labels must be attached permanently and securely and be legible during the useful life of the product.
A garment that consists of two or more parts and is always sold as a unit needs only one care label if the care instructions are the same for all the pieces. The label should be attached to the major piece of the suit. If the suit pieces require different care instructions or are designed to be sold separately, like coordinates, then each item must have its own care label.