When you purchase a piece of clothing, it is likely that you see care labels such as “dry clean only” or “wash in cold water.” Other times, you may see care labels that have drycleaning symbols. Today, we will be explaining what these dry cleaning symbols mean and why it is important to follow the instructions on your garment tag.
Washing Instructions
Machine wash: This symbol indicates that it is safe to wash your clothes using your washing machine.
Hand Wash: When you see this symbol, it means that you should wash your clothes by hand.
Dry Clean Only: This indicates that you need to bring your clothes to a dry cleaner.
Do Not Dry Clean: This symbol means that you should NOT bring your clothes to a dry cleaner.
Do Not Wash: This symbol advises you not to use your washing machine. In cases of this tag it is advisable to bring it to a dry cleaner or wash it by hand.
Wash Cycles
Use normal cycle on washing machine
Use permanent press cycle on washing machine
Use gentle/delicate cycle on washing machine
Wash Temperatures
Use Cold Water
Use Warm Water
Use Hot water
So why is all of this necessary? Why can’t all clothes just be put in the same wash with the same cycle?
The reason why is because garments have different fabrics, different embellishments and different weights. The reason you don’t put jeans and a sequin shirt in the same wash is because the jeans might bleed dye onto the shirt or rip some of the sequins off due to the jean’s weight. These garment tags are designed with the consumer in mind. “The Care Labeling Rule was issued by the Federal Trade Commission in 1971 to help consumers with clothing care. The rule states that manufacturers must tag their clothing with at least one safe cleaning method.” (Smith) Thanks to this new rule, consumers aren’t needlessly buying new clothes all the time because now they are caring for the ones that they do have.
Treat your clothes with care, and they will last you longer. This will save you money in the long run, and it will ensure that you dress your best. For clothes that require drycleaning, visit your local Sunshine Cleaners for professional garment care.
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