ISO 3758-2023 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 3758:2023 — Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols. This International Standard specifies a system of graphic symbols for marking textile articles and for indicating the most severe treatments that do not cause irreversible damage during textile care, and it gives rules for the application of these symbols on care labels for end users and professional cleaners.

Abstract

The standard establishes a set of domestic and professional care symbols covering washing, bleaching, drying and ironing, and it also covers professional dry and wet cleaning (excluding industrial laundering and professional carpet cleaning). It is intended for all textile articles supplied to the end user, with specific exclusions for non-removable covers of upholstered furniture and mattresses, and carpets or rugs requiring professional carpet cleaning. NOTE: symbols for industrial laundering are provided in ISO 30023.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 2023-12 (published 6 December 2023)
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 59.080.01 (Textiles — general)
• Edition / version: Edition 4 (2023)
• Number of pages: 31

Key bibliographic and lifecycle details (edition, publication date, technical committee and ICS) are recorded by ISO.

Scope

ISO 3758:2023 applies to the marking of textile articles with care symbols to inform the end user and the professional cleaner of the most severe acceptable treatments. It covers domestic treatments (washing, bleaching, drying and ironing) and professional textile care (dry and wet cleaning), but excludes industrial laundering and professional carpet cleaning processes. Non-removable covers for upholstered furniture and mattresses, plus carpets and rugs that require professional carpet cleaning, are explicitly excluded.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and graphical care symbols for domestic treatments: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing.
• Symbols and indications for professional textile care (wet and dry cleaning) and guidance on their application.
• Rules for the selection and combination of symbols to represent the most severe permissible treatment.
• Exclusions and special cases (non-removable covers, carpets/rugs requiring professional cleaning).
• Reference to ISO 30023 for symbols and rules specific to industrial laundering.

These topics define the minimum labelling content and graphical presentation needed to communicate safe care procedures to users and professionals.

Typical use and users

Primary users include textile and apparel manufacturers, label and packaging designers, quality and compliance teams, textile testing laboratories, regulators, retail buyers, and professional cleaners. The standard is used when creating care labels for garments, home textiles and other textile articles supplied to consumers or professional-care providers.

Related standards

Related and referenced documents include ISO 30023 (symbols for industrial laundering) and earlier editions of ISO 3758 (for historical reference, e.g., ISO 3758:2012). National and regional adoptions exist (for example, EN/ISO adoptions published by national bodies), and some publishers offer supplemental packages containing graphical symbol files extracted from the standard (e.g., symbol artwork in AI/EPS/PNG formats).

Keywords

care labelling, textile care symbols, washing symbols, bleaching, drying, ironing, dry cleaning, wet cleaning, ISO 3758, textile labelling

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: An International Standard (ISO 3758:2023) that defines a system of graphic symbols and rules for applying them to care labels for textile articles, to indicate the most severe acceptable treatments without causing irreversible damage.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers care symbols and their application for domestic treatments (washing, bleaching, drying, ironing) and professional wet and dry cleaning. It excludes industrial laundering and professional carpet cleaning and excludes certain non-removable textile assemblies such as some upholstery and mattress covers.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Manufacturers, product designers and label makers, conformity and quality teams, textile testing laboratories, retailers, and professional cleaners use this standard to create and interpret care labels.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — ISO 3758:2023 (Edition 4) replaced earlier editions such as ISO 3758:2012; the 2023 edition was published in December 2023.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of ISO work on textile care and marking; related standards include ISO 30023 (industrial laundering symbols) and earlier ISO 3758 editions. Some regional/adopted versions (EN/ISO, national adoptions) exist to align the ISO text with regional requirements.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Care labelling, symbols, textiles, washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, dry cleaning, wet cleaning, ISO 3758.