How to Read Fabric Care Labels

To help consumers care for their fabrics, the Federal Trade Commission requires that manufacturers affix permanent care labels, or tags, to garments, linens, and towels. These fabric tags must be legible and resistant to fading. On clothing, they’re typically found inside collars, waistbands, or left-hand seams. On linens and towels, they’re usually sewn into the hem. In addition to size and fabric content, care labels include important information about how to wash, dry, and iron the item. The information is presented in written instructions, fabric care symbols, or both.

Instructions on Fabric Care Labels

Most written instructions found on fabric care labels are general and straightforward. The most common written directions you’ll find on garments and linens include:

Machine wash: Safe to wash using a standard washing machine. The label may indicate whether to use cold, warm, or hot water. If it doesn’t, you can assume that any temperature is safe.
Hand wash: Not safe to wash in a machine; wash only by hand. The label will sometimes recommend a general water temperature.
Do not bleach: Not safe to wash with bleach.
Tumble dry: Safe to dry in a dryer. The label will often indicate whether to use high, medium, or low heat. If it doesn’t, you can assume that any temperature is safe.
Iron: Safe to iron. The label will often indicate “hot iron,” “warm iron,” or “cool iron.” If it doesn’t, use your discretion based on the item’s fabric content (see How to Iron for more information on iron settings).

Garment tags may also feature variations on the typical care instructions, but the directions are always stated clearly and concisely. For example, a sweater made of wool, which can easily shrink in a tumble dryer or become misshapen if handled while wet, may include the instructions “Lay flat to dry” or “Do not twist or wring.”

How to Read Fabric Care Symbols

In 1997, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) published a series of standardized symbols to take the place of written instructions on fabric care labels (though many labels include both written instructions and symbols). Fabric care symbols are illustrated washing, drying, and ironing directions that consumers can read and understand, regardless of language. The following chart illustrates all of the ASTM’s fabric care symbols and their meanings.