14Nov
Clothing Care Labels
When you purchase clothes, you may notice two sets of labels: the one with the company’s name and logo, and the one with clothing care instructions. What you may not know, though, is that if you plan on selling your clothes, the law requires this second tag. The FTC has a Care Labeling Rule that requires importers and clothing manufacturers to attach these instructions directly onto garments to ensure that customers can properly care for their purchases.
The rule was up for review this year, and a new set of instructions and warnings were settled on. These tags must include the following:
- Complete and clear instructions as to how a garment must be regularly cared for, and warnings if the garment is unable to be cleaned without harm coming to it.
- Customers must be warned about procedures that can reasonably be assumed to be consistent with the above instructions that would harm the product. For example, if a shirt can be washed in the washing machine, but would be harmed by an iron, “do not iron” must be included on the sew-in labels.
- These clothing labels must include care labeling instructions that will ensure no harm comes to the product, as long as these instructions are properly followed.
- The care sewing labels need to be attached in a manner that ensures they will remain attached, readable and will not deteriorate throughout a reasonable lifespan and regular wear and tear. If they are not of sufficient quality, you can be fined for failing to comply with the law regulating these care tags.
