Many people think so: to extend the life of the clothes, it is enough to have an expensive washing machine and high-quality powder. Yes, it plays a role, but not paramount. So that the wardrobe does not lose its appearance after washing, you need to understand what care rules are optimal for each particular thing. This will help the label that the manufacturer attaches. In the article, we will consider the decoding of signs on clothes during washing and other types of processing.
Why do I need a shortcut
A label containing recommendations for clothing care (proper cleaning, washing, drying, ironing) must be on every item, in accordance with international rules. Usually, the manufacturer also attaches a tape on which the percentage of fibers is indicated (from which raw material the thing was made).
This information helps buyers to maintain the quality of textile products and extend their life. Many people do not understand the meaning of the signs on the labels, do not give them due attention, or completely ignore it.
The following article provides typical commonly used signs, which are abbreviated information on how to care for the corresponding thing.
Understanding the meaning of symbols on clothing labels for lovers of fashion can even help in choosing outfits, helping to get rid of problems even before the purchase. For example, seeing the symbol of dry cleaning, you need to understand that this thing should be subjected to it systematically.
Hence the question: is the customer ready to constantly seek professional cleaning services? You can, of course, wash a thing yourself at home, but in this case no one guarantees that the clothes will not lose their original appearance.
Legal framework
Proper operations for the care of things are divided into five varieties - washing, cleaning (if necessary), drying, ironing, storage. For all of them, special icons have been invented to help determine which type of cleaning will be correct and optimal for various types of textiles. The decoding of the marks on clothes during washing and other processing plays a key role in the care and preservation of the durability of products.
Conditional tags on the tags are international. They were established by adopting the ISO 3758: 2012 standard, which was introduced in 2012.
A similar document is in force in Russia and the CIS countries - GOST ISO 3758—2014, introduced since January 2016.
The location of the label with the marking, which contains data on the composition of textiles and recommendations for care, is established by GOST 10581–91. This document began to operate even earlier - in 1993, and its rules are still binding on all sewing industries in Russia and the CIS.
Symbols for washing
Symbols on clothes for washing are one of the groups of symbols for the care of clothes and are presented in the table below.
Their list is as follows:
- A container with water and a specified temperature of 95 ° - washing with boiling is allowed, linen and cotton products are used from white or color textiles resistant to high temperatures.
- A container with water and a specified temperature of 60 ° or with three points in the water - it is allowed to wash a thin cotton or polyester fabric that is not resistant to boiling.
- A container with water and a specified temperature of 40 ° or with two points in the water - you can wash it at a temperature not higher than that indicated using neutral detergents (colored cotton, melange or polyester fabrics, fine synthetics and viscose).
- A container with water and a specified temperature of 30 ° or with one point in the water - a gentle washing mode at the stated temperature.
- A container with water and a palm lowered into it - a sign of hand washing on clothes - is allowed to be washed only by hand, without wringing, in water with a temperature of no higher than 40 ° C.
- Water tank, crossed out crosswise - no washing, dry cleaning (outer clothing) shown.
- Capacity with water - washing is allowed.
- A container with water and a horizontal line beneath it is a gentle washing regime with exact observance of the temperature regime and without strong mechanical treatment (for machine washing, setting the centrifuge to a slow mode).
- A container with water and two horizontal stripes from the bottom - the delicate wash mode without spin.
Spin Symbols
The second group of wash symbols on clothing labels includes spin symbols. If this mode is used improperly, the fabric undergoes deformation, as a result of which clothes deteriorate.
They are as follows:
- Crossed out square with a circle inside - drying and spinning in a washing machine or electric dryer is prohibited.
- A twisted rectangle crossed out crosswise - the product must not be twisted or squeezed.
- A circle in a square with one horizontally placed strip at the bottom is a gentle spin and drying mode.
- A circle enclosed in a square - the sign of washing in the machine (often placed in second place on clothes) - machine wash, spin and drying are allowed (also in electric drying).
- A circle in a square with two horizontally arranged stripes at the bottom - delicate drying and spinning at low speeds.
Drying symbols
This is the third group of characters, the incorrect interpretation of which also leads to deformation of the product.
The icons for this group are as follows:
- a square with an arc in the upper part - drying is allowed in a suspended position;
- a square with three vertically placed strips inside - drying without spin in the suspended state is recommended for draining water;
- a square with one horizontally located strip inside - the product may only be dried horizontally, spread out on a flat surface (usually these are knitwear);
- a square with three stripes in the upper left corner - the thing should dry in the shade;
- a square with a circle and one speck inside - drying at low temperatures is recommended;
- a square with a circle and two specks in the middle - it is allowed to dry at medium temperatures;
- a square with a circle and three specks inside - an icon that allows drying at high temperatures;
- empty quadrangle - the product is allowed to dry;
- crossed out empty square - automatic drying is prohibited.
For ironing
Laundry labels on clothing labels also include signs for the care of products after drying.
The group is small, but of great importance for preserving the appearance of things:
- iron symbolic - ironing allowed;
- crossed-out iron - do not iron (terry, fleecy and nylon fabrics);
- an iron with three points inside - ironing is declared at temperatures up to 200 ° C, you can steam and process a wet (linen or cotton) product;
- an iron with two points in the middle - ironing is allowed with temperatures up to 150 ° C through a slightly damp cloth (the mode is used for wool, silk, polyester, viscose);
- iron with one speck inside - ironing is recommended at low temperatures within 110 ° C for synthetic fabrics: polyamide, polyester, acetate, polyacrylic;
- crossed soleplate of iron - icon indicates a ban on steaming (satin and silk).
It is also necessary to take into account that for convenience, the points on the schematic designations of the temperature regime coincide in number with the number of points depicting the same on the iron.
Symbols of whitening and dry cleaning
The next large group that displays the signs of dry cleaning and washing on clothes are symbols of chemical processing of products. If, in fact, dry cleaning of things is carried out in salons, then mistresses often use bleaching on their own at home. To carry out such a procedure, you need to carefully study the rules and sequence of actions, as improper use of an aggressive substance will forever ruin the product.
The symbols of this group are as follows:
- empty circle - shows chemical (dry) cleaning;
- crossed out empty circle - dry cleaning is prohibited;
- the letter A inside the circle - dry cleaning using any solvent is allowed;
- the letter P in the middle of the circle - for cleaning it is allowed to use monoflotrichloromethane, chlorine ethylene;
- the letter F in the middle of the circle - triflotrichloromethane and hydrocarbon can be used for processing;
- the letter P or F inside the circle and one horizontal strip at the bottom - for the products shown gentle cleaning;
- triangle - the product can be bleached;
- crossed triangle - can not be bleached and used for washing powders containing chlorine;
- triangle with cl icon inside - bleaching with chlorine is allowed;
- triangle with three stripes on the left side - it is forbidden to use chlorine for processing.
Professional dry dry cleaning consists of two stages - preliminary and machine cleaning. The first stage involves the use of a stain remover, the second - a solvent. The cycles, one after the other, are repeated as much as necessary to remove stains. Then the item is rinsed and dried. For this, signs of washing modes on clothes are also important, so you should not cut off labels from it, leaving them for familiarization with the masters of dry cleaning salons.
In addition to dry chemical processing of products, Wet-cleaning is used, from English - aqua-cleaning, which is a professional wet treatment. During the procedure, the products are placed in a special washing machine. This removes most stains not removed by dry cleaning.
Text designation
Some manufacturers, such as British brands, do not use symbolic tables of signs on clothes for washing, but text notation.
The most popular of them are:
Where are the shortcuts located
Knowing the decoding of signs on clothes, when washing and further processing of the product, it will be possible to avoid the troubles associated with its damage. Schematic images placed on labels - small fabric (synthetic) stripes - will help in this. They are marked with information not only about the washing regimes and other processing, but also about the manufacturer, the composition of the fabric and the size of the clothes.
The labels are sewn into the seams from the wrong side, and in different ways, depending on the type of product:
- on outerwear they are placed on the left at the waist level;
- on T-shirts, shirts, blouses and sweaters, labels are sewn into the seam on the side or under the collar at the back;
- tags for dresses can be found at the hip level in the side seam of the skirt, regardless of side;
- for jeans and trousers, labels are sewn to the back or side seam or in your pocket.
It is worth noting that if the label is made of hard fabric or decorated with lurex thread, it can create uncomfortable sensations when worn - rub on the skin and scratch it. To avoid such troubles, many cut tags and most throws out. Doing this is undesirable, since the product care information contained in the textile strip will be useful not only to the owner, but also to dry cleaners.
In some cases, data on the composition of the fabric may be located on the second sewn label.
Caring for things
In addition to deciphering signs on clothes during washing and subsequent processing, it is necessary to take into account the general rules for caring for things.
They are as follows:
- shake things before washing;
- be sure to check pockets in clothing for the absence of any objects;
- clothes with “lightning” locks fasten them;
- knitted clothes with buttons are fastened, after washing they are dried horizontally in a straightened form;
- things with printed drawings are turned inside out before washing;
- if the label is cut from the product, it is saved;
- determining the washing mode, it is necessary to study the icons on the label on the composition of the fabric;
- colored and plain products are washed separately from each other and then stacked in different piles to avoid painting;
- things that easily lose their shape are washed in special nets.
What does a piece of textile mean
When releasing some things, manufacturers attach a bag with an attached spare button or a small piece of cloth from which the product is made to the inner seam. This is done so that with the help of such a piece of textile, the buyer can determine the method of washing and caring for the thing. On it you can test whether the dye will fade, whether it is possible to bleach and what is the shrinkage of the fabric. All this can be done without spoiling the thing itself.
To determine shrinkage, the flap is circled on a piece of paper with a pencil, washed, dried, and again applied to the drawing, trying to combine the contours. If the boundaries do not match, the level of deformation can be estimated.