At what temperature should I wash these pants? Can I put this blanket in the dryer? Should I take this dress to the dry cleaner because it is a delicate garment? Will I load my jacket if I iron it? We are often hesitant to do our laundry and end up using generic programs and cold washing because we are unable to understand labels of clothes or not to keep them.
Know and understand the washing symbols that appear on the labels of those textile products that we buy, will help us give them better treatment. Putting a garment to wash without having taken the precaution of reading the label can play a trick on us. Surely you have had some trouble with the washing machine, am I wrong? In Decoora We don't want it to happen to you again, so today we explain the meaning of these washing symbols.
What is a washing symbol?
A washing symbol is a pictogram that represents a washing method, drying, dry cleaning and ironing of clothes. Such symbols are written on labels that are attached to clothing to indicate how a particular item should be cleaned. They are those symbols that we seldom understand and that make labels sometimes kilometer.
There are different standards for care labels for different countries / regions of the world. In Europe, we owe the creation of the pictogram system to Ginetex, a French association founded in 1963 whose objective is precisely the labeling for textile care. In the United States, the one responsible for organizing clothing labeling is the almighty Federal Trade Commission (FTC). We should not be concerned that there are different regulations since companies are obliged to adjust to the system of the country in which the product is to be marketed.
There are a number of conventional and generalized symbols that help us understand how to treat each garment. In some standards, pictograms coexist with or are further supplemented by written instructions for clarity. Ginetex states that milder forms of treatment and lower temperatures than those indicated on the label are always allowed. What is indicated is therefore the maximum allowed treatment.
Washing symbols
Distinguishing between the washing, drying and ironing icons can become a real hieroglyph if we do not inform ourselves about them. In Bezzia we are going to show you today what to know what does each one mean of them is simpler than it seems. Willing to get to know the different washing symbols with us in order to finally understand the labels?
Washed
The symbol of washing couldn't be more obvious: a bucket full of water. The pictogram is usually completed with a figure indicating the maximum temperature to which the garment should be washed or a few points instead. If the bucket also has horizontal lines underneath, it means that the wash is delicate.
Bleaches
The bleaches are those substances destined to make the fibers whiter. Chlorine, bleach and other products chemicals can act as such. The symbol, represented through a triangle, therefore serves to know if bleaches are allowed and if so, what type of bleach can be used to wash said garment.
Machine drying
The dryer is becoming more and more common in our homes, but not all garments can be machine dried; some can only be dried by hand. A square with a circle inside, that is the reference that we must look for on the label to know if a light can be put in the dryer and at what temperature.
Hand drying
The visual reference for hand drying is a window represented by a square. In its interior, other lines and curves are usually represented to indicate the optimal way to dry clothes, specifying if it is necessary to dry it in the shade, horizontally or on a rope.
Ironing
The labels also tell us if a garment may or may not be ironed. The shape that represents ironing is obvious. And as in washing, dots are also used here to indicate the maximum temperature at which the garment must be ironed so as not to damage it.
Professional washing
A circle like that of a traffic sign indicates that the garment requires a professional washing or in other words that we will have to take her to the dry cleaner. Although we cannot wash it at home, we may be curious about what the different pictograms mean.
Sure after reading about the different washing symbols you are clear about what each of them indicates, right? I'm sure that if someone asks you how they are represented: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional washing, you would have no problem explaining it to them. I'm wrong?
Once known, you will understand the importance of look at the label when buying a garment and of course washing it. Distinguishing between different fabrics to know which of them is more delicate, knowing how to adjust the water temperature or how to dry a garment will not be a mystery to you from now on.