UK Fashion & Textile Association

Care Labelling and Standards

 
Care Labelling

The care symbols are contained within an International Standard ISO 3758. This Standard is written and maintained by a group of international washing and labelling experts under the umbrella of the ISO . The group meets regularly to ensure that the symbols are up to date and reflect consumer practice across the world.

At present ISO 3758 is being revised and the group is looking at symbols for natural drying as well as other minor changes.

The UK is represented on this committee through the British Standards Institute (BSI). BSI has its own committee that looks after washing and care labelling - TCI/82 and UKFT provides the secretariat to this committee. And for the past decade UKFT staff have attend the ISO meetings representing the views of the UK.

Washing & Drying

There is a separate Standard ISO 6330 which establishes the washing and drying programmes 'behind' the care label. It is this Standard that allows retailers and manufacturers to choose which care label to use. UKFT staff also sit on the ISO committee that maintains this Standard.

ISO 6330 is currently under revision. The main aim of this revision is to ensure that the Standard is based on global practice and that the wash processes in the Standard remain more severe than those in domestic washing machines.

Dry Cleaning

There are a separate series of Standards that establish testing and labelling for dry-cleaning and wet-cleaning.

Other Standards

There are a wealth of Standards that apply to clothing and textiles. For more information please visit the BSI website
http://www.bsi-global.com/

For more information on ISO 3758 and ISO 6330 please contact UKFT info@ukft.org

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