The clothes that we wear every day are different. Some are cotton, some are silk, some are polyester, some are linen and some are jeans. The color of each cloth is different from each other. So it is natural that their washing method will be a little bit different. If we can take good care of these clothes, we will be able to wear our clothes for a long time. The clothes we buy from the market must have a care label attached to them. There you will find some symbolic signs. With this mark, the manufacturing companies explain the method of washing and taking care of the cloth. Many of us do not understand these icons of care label. Today I will try to explain easily what is meant by the icons on the Garment Care label.
If you look closely at a care label, you will see that it contains information about the fabric construction, some of the symbols, and the country in which the product is manufactured. Care label has usually had some symbols related to washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning. Washing and taking care instructions of care label is written in English as well as in different languages. If you are a little aware and follow the instructions of the care label, you will be able to use your lovely clothes for a long time. Those of you who want to work in Garments may be asked questions during the interview by showing the signs on the care label. Even if you don’t work in garments, if you know these symbols of care label, you can take care of clothes.
Usually, there are five types of symbols internationally recognized care labels. Today I will discuss these symbols.
- The first symbol we will discuss is the washing symbol. In other words, this section contains information on how the garments can be washed and in what manner they cannot be washed.
- Then there is the bleaching symbol. How to bleach the fabric. This section contains information on chemicals, pressure and temperature used in bleaching.
- Then there is the dry cleaning symbol. This section contains information on whether the cloth can be dry cleaned, what chemicals should be used in dry cleaning, time, temperature.
- Then there are the drawing symbols. This section contains information about how to dry the cloth that is the machine will not be used for drying and drying in the sun, time, and temperature.
- Then there is the ironing symbol. This section contains information on the temperature at which the fabric should be ironed, whether it is forbidden to iron, whether it can be streamed.
Washing symbol
This time we will discuss the washing symbol. If there is a mark of a bucket filled with water on the care label, it means that the cloth can be washed. If the bucket filled with water is marked with a cross, it means that the cloth cannot be washed.
The care label may contain some additional washing symbols. If the care label has the mark of a bucket full of water containing such a normal wash, it means that the cloth can be washed in any detergent. If there is a line on the bottom of the bucket filled with water then it needs to be pressed permanently. Which chemical will be used in the permanent press is written on the care label.
If there are two lines on the bottom of the bucket filled with water, then it should be delicate or gently washed. Delicate or gentle wash means you have to wash very carefully. If you use heavy detergents, the clothes may be damaged. Usually, wool, silk or woolen fabrics have such symbols.
If there are hand marks in the bucket filled with water, it means hand wash. The cloth can be washed by hand. Washing in the machine can damage the fabric.
If there is a cross mark on the twisted cloth, it means that the cloth cannot be twisted after washing. Twisting can damage the texture of the fabric.
There may be some more signs about what the water temperature will be like during washing. If there is a dot mark in the bucket filled with water, it should be washed at a maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius.
If there are two dot marks in the bucket filled with water, it should be washed at a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. If there are three-dot marks, it should be washed at a maximum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. If there are four dot marks, they should be washed at a maximum temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. If there are five dot marks, they should be washed at a maximum temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. If there are six dot marks, they should be washed at a maximum temperature of 95 degrees Celsius. Many times the unit of temperature is seen to be expressed in Fahrenheit instead of K in degrees.
Bleaching symbol
Now we will discuss the bleaching symbol. There will be a triangle mark and there will be nothing inside. If it is like this in the care label, it means that the cloth can be bleached. You can wash the cloth with any bleach. If the Dark Triangle mark is cut with cross marks it means the fabric cannot be bleached. But if there are two diagonal lines inside the triangle sign, it means that all bleach contains a substance called chlorine which cannot be used.
Dry cleaning symbol
Now we will discuss the dry cleaning symbol. How to do dry cleaning of the cloth is explained with the dry cleaning symbol. We know that different solvents are used in dry cleaning. If the care label has such a circle and the letter A in the middle, then the cloth can be dry cleaned with any solvent. If there is P in the middle of the circle, then the fabric can be dry cleaned with any solvent, only Trichloro Ethylene cannot be used. If there is an F in the middle of the circle, then the fabric can only be dry cleaned with petroleum solvent, no other solvent can be used. If there is a W in the middle of the circle, then the cloth should be wet cleaned. Wet cleaning is much better than other dry cleaning methods considering the environment. If the circle of the care label is cross marked, it means that the cloth cannot be dry clean.
There are some more symbols of dry cleaning. If there is a line under the left side of the circle, it means short cycle dry that is it has to rotate less while drying on the machine. If there is a line on the top of the left side of the circle, it means moisture the cloth must be reduced very well while drying in the machine. If there is a line under the bottom right side of the circle, it means you have to dry the machine with low heat. And if there is a line on the top right side of the circle, it means no steam finishing requires, that is, when the cloth is dried in the machine, don’t use steam to dry the cloth.
Drawing symbol
Now we will discuss drawing symbols. How to dry the cloth, how many degrees temperature requires to dry the cloth are explained with the drawing symbol. If there is such a square mark on the care label, it means you can dry the cloth in the sun. If the square mark is crossed it means the cloth cannot be dried. If there is a circle inside the square mark and it is crossed, it means that the cloth cannot be tumbled dry.
There are some more symbols used in drawing. If there is a circle inside the square mark, then you can dry the cloth in the sun after washing it. If there is a line below the square mark on the bar, then it has to be pressed permanently. Permanent press drying is usually done by adding chemicals to the clothes in industrial laundries.
If there are two lines below the square mark, then it should be delicate or gently dry. Delicate or gentle dry means the cloth has to be dried very carefully. Usually, wool, silk or woolen fabrics have such symbols.
Then there is line dry or hang to dry. This means that the cloth has to be pulled by a rope to dry.
If there is a line inside the square mark it means dry flat. This means that the fabric should be left flat and dry, not pulled by a rope to dry.
Some more symbols are indicating the temperature for drying clothes. Having only one circle means it can be dried at any temperature. If there is a dot inside the circle, it should be dried at low temperatures. If there are two dots inside the circle, it should be dried at medium temperature. If there are three dots inside the circle, it should be dried at high temperatures. If there are dark circles on the care label, then the cloth cannot be machine dried. Dry at normal temperature through the air.
If there are three lines inside the square mark, it means drip dry. Drip dry means that the clothes cannot be dried through wringing. Open folded cloth, hang it flat and dry it.
If there are two diagonal lines inside the square mark, it means in the shade dry. The way we dry clothes naturally is “in the said dry”.
Ironing symbol
Now we will discuss the Ironing Symbol. How to iron the cloth, how many degrees temperature requires to iron the cloth are explained with the ironing symbol. If there is such an iron symbol in the care label, then you can iron the cloth. If there is such a cross mark in the middle of the iron symbol, it means that the cloth cannot be ironed. If there is a dot inside the iron, it means that the fabric can be ironed at a maximum temperature of 110 degrees Celsius. If there are two dots inside the iron, it means that the fabric can be ironed at a maximum temperature of 150 degrees Celsius. If three dots inside the iron it means that the fabric can be ironed at a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. If there are two cross marks below the iron symbol, it means that the cloth cannot be steamed iron.
Hopefully from the above discussion, you will get a clear idea of the symbol relationship used at the care label of garments and understand how to take care of garments.
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