Very often people buying a thing in a store do not pay attention to the label at all, especially since there are a lot of obscure characters. Many people are not interested in deciphering the icons on clothing labels, and when they remember about them, it's too late. In fact, it is on these small pieces of fabric that all the useful information for the buyer about the purchased goods was collected by the specialists.
In the article, we consider the designation of icons on clothing labels, which are divided into several subsections. We show a graphic image of the symbol and give its detailed decoding. You will learn how important it is to understand such a matter, because thanks to proper care of the clothes, she will retain her original appearance for much longer.
General information
On the inside of the clothes on the store’s clothes, in addition to the manufacturer’s tag, you can see a small label on which information on the composition of the fabric is indicated and a specialist’s recommendation on how to care for such matter is given. Knowing how to act during washing, you can save the fabric from molting, deformation, melting during ironing.
It seems that in the life of every housewife there was a moment of improper handling of the thing. This is an unsuccessfully washed dress that changed color by several tones, a woolen sweater that has decreased in size or the singed edge of a smart blouse. An experienced housewife has an idea of how to properly care for clothes, distinguishes fabrics by touch or in appearance and intuitively knows what temperature can be set on an iron before ironing.
But even she would find it useful to know what the icons on the clothing labels mean. After all, there are instructions about bleaching or the use of chemicals. Therefore, when buying, do not cut the tag with the notation. It is small in size, sewn from a soft fabric, so it will absolutely not interfere with wear. But this will provide an opportunity, if necessary, to see and find out important things for yourself.
Types of badges on clothing labels
Symbols on the label have several types. Some indicate the composition of the tissue. Most manufacturers write in full what fabric the thing is sewn from, adding a percentage, while others indicate only generally accepted abbreviations.
The remaining icons are written in one or two rows. Each of them belongs to different types. We list further the basic information laid out in miniature characters.
- Washing. This is the first icon in a row that can be recognized by a painted bowl with a wavy surface of the water.
- Whitening. A triangular sign indicates the possibility of using bleach when washing or soaking.
- Spin. This action is indicated by a square symbol. The decoding of the icons on the clothing labels depends on the internal pattern of the figure or the lines that cross it out.
- Ironing. This sign cannot be confused with anything, since the iron is depicted.
- Dry cleaning. In this type of icon, you can see not only lines and geometric shapes, but also English capital letters - A / P / F / CL. Later in the article we will describe their meaning in more detail.
- The last character on the tag indicates drying. There are things that you can hang on the street using clothespins, and there are those requiring horizontal drying or laying on a towel in the shade.
Short cuts for fabrics
Now a huge number of varieties of fabrics are produced, even the names of all can not be mentioned. The easiest way to deal with cotton clothing. It is well washed, ironed at high temperature, dried in fresh air on clothespins. Cotton problems rarely occur in housewives.
If you bought a thing and did not quite understand its composition, then study the decoding of the icons on the clothing labels. Perhaps they will help you understand the quality and properties of unfamiliar tissue. We list some of them:
- LI - flax. This is a strong fabric, but it can shrink when washed, so it is washed at a temperature of 30–40 ° C, and ironed with a steamer, all the more so because linen items are very prone to creasing.
- WO - wool. This fabric does not like soaking. Wash carefully, do not rub or squeeze strongly. Unscrew things in a terry towel, and dry it unfolded on it.
- PA - means nylon. This is a synthetic fabric, quite durable. It is well washed at 40 ° C and dried on clothespins, but you need to iron the fabric only at the lowest temperature, otherwise you can burn a hole.
- PES - polyacryl. Like all fabrics made of polyester fabric, polyacryl is washed only at 30 ° C, it cannot be dried in a machine.
- EA is an elastane material. You need to take care of such a fabric, as well as all thin fabrics. Do not dry in the dryer, choose detergents for delicate washing. It is ironed depending on which fabric the elastane is combined in matter.
- PL is polyester. Wash both at 40 ° C and at 60 ° C. During drying, difficult creases can form. Ironing things from polyester is not required, but if there is an ugly fold, you can use a slightly warm iron and a damp cushioning cloth.
- SE - silk fabric. Such delicate matter is washed only at 30 ° C, and is not dried in a dryer or in the sun. You can slightly squeeze in a towel. They are ironed with a warm iron, and it is impossible to spray water on the fabric, as water stains remain.
Laundry symbols
The table below shows a detailed explanation of the icons on the clothing labels. As you can see, it’s easy to understand, especially with the temperature regime of washing. It is indicated by the usual numbers on the water tank.
An extra line under the painted bowl means a gentle wash. It can be performed both in the washing machine and by hand. The temperature is indicated on the icons on the clothing labels. The importance of delicate washing is expressed in the fact that only neutral detergents are used. Squeeze the fabric in a weakened mode.
If washing is done by hand, do not rub the fabric and do not wring it too much. Rinse better additionally under running water.
Spin different fabrics
The spin icons can be recommended for machine wash or hand wash. The symbol has the shape of a square with a circle inscribed inside, resembles a graphic image of a washing machine with a round window. If it is not crossed out, then you can plan a program for spinning things. If washing is done by hand, then calmly twist such fabrics.
If a square with a circle in the center is crossed out, then you cannot squeeze such a fabric. There is also an interesting icon in the form of a twisted towel with two crossed lines. This means that when washing with your hands, clothes from this fabric cannot be twisted.
Tissue whitening
Let's look at what the badges on the labels of clothes in the shape of a triangle mean. If the figure is drawn without additional lines, then you can bleach things. If the icon is crossed out, then categorically it is impossible. The remaining characters help to understand the use of whitening products.
A triangle with the inscription CL, which means bleaching with chlorine, is placed on white cotton fabrics. If three parallel lines are drawn inside the figure, then select a bleach that does not contain such a toxic chemical.
Ironing things
If you ever faced with the fact that the fabric wrinkled during ironing or melted from a too hot appliance, be sure to check the icons on the clothing labels. The decoding of the designation of this type of symbol is probably the simplest, and it is clear to many housewives.
Dots are drawn on the drawn iron, the set temperature on the device depends on their number. On new devices, a similar designation. The highest temperature - up to 200 degrees - has a designation of 3 points. Cotton and linen, jeans and shirts, summer T-shirts and shorts are ironed with a hot iron.
The average temperature - up to 150 degrees - is indicated by two points on the symbol. It is intended for fabrics with the addition of synthetics. But the low temperature - up to 110 degrees, indicated by one dot on the label, is used for synthetics and the outer surfaces of autumn jackets and sportswear.
If the drawn iron is crossed out, then the product cannot be ironed at all. There is another symbol where there are additional lines at the bottom of the iron. This means steaming the fabric. If such an icon is crossed out, then steaming cannot be carried out. This can damage the fabric, ruin the color or leave ugly water stains.
Dry cleaning
You need to know the meaning of the icons drawn on the label in extreme situations, when the clothes are dirty and requires the use of additional chemicals to clean stubborn stains.
Hints are placed in circles on the label. If a simple circle is drawn, then it is recommended to clean such clothes only in a dry way in dry cleaners. If it is crossed out, then it is impossible to dry clean in any case. Often in circles have English letters.
- The letter A means that the fabric will withstand the effects of any solvent.
- A P on the clothing label indicates that the use of conventional reagents, such as perchlorethylene or bicarbonate, is permitted. You can remove the stain with gasoline, but make sure that trichlorethylene is not contained in the substance. If such an icon is additionally underlined with a line below, then such a fabric must be washed in a gentle mode.
- The letter F allows the use of white spirit to remove stains, and with an underlined symbol - gentle treatment is recommended.
Finally
As you already understood, it is very important to know the decoding of the characters on the label sewn to the clothes from the inside. It depends on how long you will use the thing, whether it will maintain a decent appearance even after several washings. If you know all the information about the fabric and how to care for it, then you will never damage it with an iron when ironing, do not deform a thing when drying or spinning.