Decoding Care Labels on Clothing
Have you ever wondered exactly what all those little symbols on care labels mean? By law, the Federal Trade Commission requires every garment have some sort of care method. As foreign as they may seem, it is beneficial to know what each of these 33 symbols mean. Knowing these labels will not only help you take better care of your clothing but also save you time and money- because you’re clothing will last much longer!

A few other things to keep in mind:
The dot system used to indicate the temperature range is exactly the same for all wash procedures, from the water temperature to the setting on your iron.
Most washable textiles are safe in some sort of bleach. If bleach isn’t mentioned or represented in a care symbol on the garment, it still can be used.
Care labels are required on all garments and fabric made into garments, with the exception of leather and suede garments, hats, gloves, socks, footwear, reversible garments and household items made of fabric (think linens, curtains, etc).

