Apparel Care Labeling and Apparel Care

1. APPAREL CARE

2. Identification of the stain
Based on Colour clue.
Blue, black or red may be ink-stains.
Reds or pinks may be lipstick, rouge or nail polish.
Based on Appearance
Wax and paint stains build up on the surface of the fabric.
Oil and fats cause transluscent stains.
Medicine stains, food stains, and perfumes may leave specific odour.
Based on Touch.
Stickiness may be due to gum or glue, stiffness may be egg or some
other albuminous stain, paint may give a smooth feel.
In sophisticated laundries stains can be identified by X-ray diffraction
and other methods.

3. Types and Characteristics
Nature of The Stain Stains
Acid Perspiration, urine (fresh), vinegar, medicines
containing nitric acid, picric acid, etc.
Base
Perspiration, urine (old stains).
Fats and Oils Butter, cream, margarine, edible oils, machine
oil, hair oil, lard, wax.
Grease - Mineral oil Paraffin, vaseline, turpeniine, car grease.
Metallic Rust, silver nitrate, brass, copper salts, black
ink,chrominum salts, etc.
Metalloid Iodine tinctures
[
Natural dyes and pigments in solution Herbs, vegetables, flowers, fruit
dispersion or emulsion in aqueous medium juices, wines, tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, henna, be
etle-leaf, tobacco.
Synthetic dyes and pigments in solution
dispersion or emulsion in aqueous medium. Inks, markers, hair dyes, type-writer ribbons,
water colours, mercurochrome, gentian violet.
Sugar solutions and colouring matter.
Jams, jellies, syrups, soft drinks, puddings, etc.
Solutions, dispersions or emulsion in fats
or oils Mayonnaise, sauces, ketchup, lipstick, rouge, masc
ara, printing ink, polishes, tar, smoke, rayons.
Solutions, dispersions or emulsions of dyes
or pigments in organic solvents. Oil paints, lacquer, varnish, nail-polish.
Proteinic
Blood, egg, meat juice, fish slime, milk.
Miscellaneous

4. Principles of Stain Removal
Nature of the Stain Principle of Removal
Neutralization with alkali gives a soluble salt which can be
Acid
leached out.
Neutralization with acid gives a soluble salt which can be
Base
leached o
Oxidation or Reduction (bleaching) gives a soluble,
Metal and Metal salt
colourless salt, removed in washing
Reduction with sodium thiosulphate gives a colourless,
Metalloid (Iodine)
soluble salt, removed on washing.
Any one process
• Saponification.
Fats and oils
• Absorption by an absorbant powder
• Dissolution in a solvent.
Any one process
• Absorption by an absorbant powder.
Mineral oil
• Dissolution in a solvent.
• Emulsification.

5. Principles of Stain Removal
Nature of the Stain Principles of Removal
Natural dyes and pigments in
solution, dispersion or emulsion in Oxidation (Bleaching)
aqueous medium.
One of the following processes
Synthetic dyes and pigments in * Reduction followed by oxidation.
solution, dispersion or emulsion in 1. Oxidation followed by reduction.
aqueous medium. 2. Acidification followed by reduction.
3. Oxidation in acidic medium,
Solutilization of the sugar and reduction of the colour.
Sugar and Colouring matter Protein
Digestion with enzyme protease.
Solutions, dispersion or emulsion of
Emulsification and dissolution in a solvent.
dyes or pigments in organic solvents.
Miscellaneous Each of these requires a special treatment.

6. Classifications of Stain Removers
Hydrocarbons Benzene, Toluene,
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlorinated hydrocarbons Trichloroethylene
Perchloroethylene Solvents
Petroleum ether
Petroleum based Solvent naphtha
Kerosene, turpentine
Alcohols/Ethers/Ketones Ethyl alcohol, amyl alcohol Amyl acetate, acetone, glycerine.
Hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate,
Oxidizing agents Bleaches sodium hypochlorite,
KMnO4 oxalic acid.
Sodium hydrosulphite, sodium thiosulphate,
Reducing agents
sodium bisulphite.
Oils / Fats Coconut oil, olein,
Fatty acids oleic acid,
Anionic - Soaps, alkylaryl sulphonates, Fatly acid alcohol
suiphonates.
Emulsifiers Nonionic - Teepol, detergents based on: fatty alcohol and
alkylphenol condensates, fatty acid condensates, fatly amine
oxides.
Organic - 1% oxalic, 30% formic, % acetic white vinegar, tomato,
Acids lime, sour milk, curds
Inorganic - Dilute hydrochloric acid
Ammonium hydroxide % , Liquid ammonia 10%
Alkalis
Sodium bicarbonate 1%
Talcum powder, cornstarch. French chalk ( 3MgO ■ 4SiO2 • H2O )
Absorbants
Fullers earth ( Al2O3 ■ SiO2 ■ x H2O )

7. Common Stains and Removal
Ball-point Rub lightly with cotton swab soaked in denatured spirit.
Bleach with 1% potassium permanganate (the fabric turns brown). Then soak in
Beetle leaf (Paan)
1% oxalic acid or 1% sodium bisulphite (till brown colour disappears). Launder.
Soak in cold water for about an hour. Then transfer to lukewarm water
Blood containing an enzyme detergent. Soak for 30 minutes, Launder. Or Soak in
cold water, to which common salt is added, for about an hour. Launder.
Scrape off surface wax with a blunt knife. Place the stain between two tissue
Candle wax' papers or blotting paper and press with warm iron. Repeat using clean tissue or
blotting papers. If a coloured stain remains treat with bleach. Launder.
Remove surface gum with a blunt knife. Apply ice to the stain. Allow to soak in
Chewing gum
ice cold water for a few minutes. Launder.
Chocolate, cocoa Same treatment as for blood.
Coffee, tea Apply borax solution and allow to dry. Launder.
Curry (Turmeric and Apply soap and bleach in sunlight. When dry, if the stain has not disappeared, wet
oil) it and put it back in sunlight again.
Egg Soak in enzyme detergent or in warm salt solution. Launder.
White fabrics may be bleached with sodium hypochloritc. Coloured fabrics may
Fruit, fruit juice
be soaked in warm borax solution. Launder.
Steep in methylated spirit. Launder. Dab with swab soaked in a solvent. Launder
Grass Grease
with hot water.
Glue, gum Steep in hot water containing a few drops of glycerine. Launder in hot water.
Henna (Mhendi) Soak in milk for half an hour. Launder.
Rinse through with cold water and launder or apply petrol or carbon
Ice-cream, milk
tetrachloride. Launder.

8. Common Stains and Removal
Hold under running water to remove as much of the ink as possible. Then treat
using one of the following methods; Apply lime juice and salt and leave for 30
Ink minutes and launder. Soak in sour milk or curds for 30 minutes. Launder. Steep
in dilute oxalic acid for 10 minutes then rinse thoroughly in dilute borax
solution. Launder.
Iodine Fresh wet stain : apply starch paste and leave it to absorb the stain. Launder.
Dry stain or steep in 1% sodium thiosulphate solution. Launder. Soften the
Lipstick
stain by working glycerine into it. Launder. Apply methylated spirit. Launder.
Make-up (mascara,
Sponge with denatured alcohol or petrol or ammonia. Launder in hot water.
rouge)
Steep for one hour in detergent solution containing ammonia. Rinse in water.
Soak for another hour in water containing vinegar. Rinse and dry. Apply
Mercurochrome denatured spirit, rinse in water. Launder. Sponge with water and alcohol
(equal parts), then work glycerine into the stain as long as the colour bleeds.
Launder.
Soak the stain in dilute potassuim permanganate (1% solution), for 15 minutes.
Mildew Rinse in cold water, once. Dip in warm 1% solution of sodium bisulphite till the
brown colour of the potassium permanganate disappears. Launder.
Scrape off the excess mustard. Work stain in a little perchloro-ethylene. Allow
to dry. Soak in water and vineger. Flush with water. If stain persists, bleach for
Mustard
10 minutes in hydrogen peroxide to which a drop of ammonia is added.
Launder.
Allow the garment to dry and dust off as much of the mud as possible, then
Mud soak the stain in an alkaline bath (20 g/1 of sodium carbonate) for a couple of
hours. Launder.

9. Common Stains and Removal
Place the stain against a clean absorbent towel and dab with cotton swab
soaked in acetone or a mixture of acetone and amyl acetate or a commercial
Nail polish nail-polish remover. After a few dabs shift the stain to a clean area of the towel.
Repeat till stain disappears. Launder. This process cannot be followed for
acetate fabrics.
Same process as for nail-polish but the remover used is turpentine, kerosene
Paint
or denatured spirit.
Soak in 1% oxalic acid for 10 minutes. Rinse (through with water and soak
Perspiration
for 10 minutes in hydrogen peroxide.
Do not let the stain age. Wash immediately, preferably in hot water. A weak
Perfume
solution of acetic acid helps.
A patented rust-remover may be used or the stain may be soaked in cold 1%
Rust
oxalic acid for about 15 minutes and then laundered.
First use methylated spirit to soften the stain.
Sealing wax
Then remove with perchloroethylene. Launder.
Scorch Bleach with hydrogen peroxide or with sodium perborate. Launder.
Work oil or grease into the stain to emulsify it and launder with hot water. Treat
Shoe polish
with denatured alcohol and launder in hot water.
Soot Apply starch paste and launder.
First scrape off with a blunt knife. Using a clean cloth rub oil or grease.
Tar
Launder in hot water.
Treat as perspiration or apply ethyl alcohol and allow to evaporate, Tnen apply
Urine
chloroform and allow to evaporate. Launder.

10. Systems of Care Labelling
Symbols Representing Instruction
Wash tub Washing
Bleach Bleaching
Drier Drying
Hand iron Pressing or ironing
Drycleaning Drycleaning

11. Washing Instructions
Colour Instruction
Canadian
Green Machine washable using hot water
Amber Machine washable using warm water
Amber Machine washable using lukewarm water
Amber Hand washable using lukewarm water
Red Do not wash
Dutch
Green Hot washing permitted {95"C = 203°F)
Green Moderately hot water 60°C = 140°F)
Amber Lukewarm washing, like wool (40°C - 104°F)

12. Washing Instructions
British Colour Instruction
Machine wash, very hot (85°C) to boil. Hand wash hand
Black hot (48°C). Maximum agitation. Normal rinse. Spin or
wring.
Machine wash, hot (60°C), maximum wash. Hand wash,
Black hand hot (48°C) maximum agitation. Normal rinse. Spin or
wring.
Machine wash, hot (60°C}, medium wash. Hand wash,
Black hand hot (48°C), medium agitation. Cold rinse, short spin
or drip dry.
Machine wash, hot (48°C), medium wash. Hand wash,
Black hand hot (48°C), medium agitation. Cold rinse. Short spin
or drip dry.
Machine wash, warm (40°C), medium wash. Hand wash,
Black warm (40°C), medium agitation. Normal rinse. Spin or
wring.
Machine wash, hot (40°C), minimum wash. Hand wash,
Black warm (40°C), medium agitation. Cold rinse. Short spin.
Do not wring.
Machine wash, warm (40°C), medium wash. Hand wash,
Black warm (40°C). Do not rub. Cold rinse. Spin, do not hand
wring.
Black Hand wash only, hand hot water. Warm rinse. Drip dry.

13. Bleaching Instructions
Use chlorine bleach as directed on the
Amber
container label.
Do not use chlorine bleach. Peroxide bleach
Red
may be used,
Bleaching with hypochlorite (chlorine bleach)
Green
if necessary is permitted.
Red Do Not Bleach

14. Drying Instructions
Symbols Canadian British Instructions
It may be dried in a tumble drier at
medium to high setting. The British
Green Black system only indicates that the item may
be.tumble dried. The setting is not
specified.
It may be dried in a tumble drier at low
Amber Black
setting.
Red Black Do not Thumble dry
Green Black It should be hung to dry or line dry.
Amber Black It should be dried on flat surface.
Green Black It should be hung soaking wet to drip-dry.

15. Ironing Instructions
Symbol Colour Instruction
Canadian
A setting upto cotton and
Green
linen may be used
A setting of medium
Amber
should be used
A setting of low should be
Amber
used
Red Do not press or iron.

16. Ironing Instructions
Dutch Colour Instructions
Green Hot ironing permitted
Amber No hot ironing
Red No ironing.
British
Black Hot 210°C
Black Warm 160°C
Black Cool 120°C
Black Do not iron.

17. Dry Cleaning Instructions
Symbol Colour Instruction
Canadian
Green May be drycleaned
It may be drycleaned, but tumble
Amber
drying should be at low temperature.
Red Do not dryclean.
Dutch
Amber Use of any solvent is permitted.
Use of only perchloroelhylene or
Green
petroleum solvent permitted.
Only use of petroleum solvent
Amber
permitted.
Amber Do not dryclean

18. American Systems of Care Labeling
Washing Instructions
Launder only by hand in luke warm water cold or hot (upto around
Hand Wash
60DC) water may be used
Wash in washing machine or manually. Water upto around 60°C
Machine Wash
can be used. May be laundered commercially.
Warm Wash Initial water temperature 30° - 40°C.
Cold Wash Tap water temperature i.e. 29° - 30QC.
Do not employ a laundry that uses special formulations, sour
Do not have
rinses, large loads, high temperature. In other words do not use
commercially
comercial, industrial or institutional methods. Employ home
laundered
laundering, machine or hand.
Small Load Fewer clothes than the normal load.
Delicate cycle or gentle
Slow agitation and reduced time.
cycle
Wash separately Wash alone or with same colours.
Cold rinse Tap water temperature.
Warm rinse Around 40°C
Rinse thoroughly Rinse several times to remove all soap/detergent and bleach.
Do not wring Handle to avoid wrinkles and distortion.
Damp wipe only Clean with damp cloth or sponge

19. American Systems of Care Labeling
Bleaching Instructions
No Chlorine Oxygen bleach may be used.
No Bleach Use of any type of bleach should be used avoided.
Bleach When needed All bleaches may be used.
Drying Instructions
Use machine drier. When no temperature is specified hot setting
Thumble Dry may be used. Temperature may be specified as low, medium high or
no heat.
No Heat Set drier to operate without heat.
Remove Promptly When items are dry, remove immediately to prevent wrinkling.
Drip dry Hang dripping wet, with or without hand smoothing.
Line Dry Hang damp on line in or out of doors.
Line dry in shade Dry away from sun
Line dry away from heat Dry away from heat.
Dry flat Lay out horizontally for drying.
Block to Dry Reshape to original dimensions while drying.

20. American Systems of Care Labeling
Ironing Instructions
Cool Iron Set iron at lowest setting.
Warm Iron Set iron at medium setting
Hot Iron Set iron at hot setting
Do not Iron No ironing is needed.
Iron wrong side
The article has to be turned right side in.
only
Steam Iron Use steam iron or wet press cloth.
Articles to be ironed must be damp or dampened before
Iron Damp
ironing.
Use Press cloth Use dry or damp cloth between the iron and fabric.

21. American Systems of Care Labeling
Dry Cleaning Instructions
Can be machine washed in hot water, can be machine dried at a high
setting, can be ironed at a hot setting, can be bleached with all
Wash or Dry clean
commercially available bleaches and can be drycleaned with all
commercially available solvents
Process in a machine that uses any common organic solvent. Moist
addition to solvent may be upto 75% RH. Hot tumble drying upto 70°C
Dryclean
and steam press or steam-air finishing. If solvent is specified only that
solvent should be used.
Short cycle Reduced or minimum cleaning time, depending on solvent used.
Minimum extraction Least possible extraction time.
Reduced moisture or
Decreased relative humidity.
Low moisture
Do not tumble Do not tumble dry.
Tumble warm Upto 49°C.
Tumble Cool Tumble dry at room temperature.
Steam only Apply no contact press when steaming.
No Steam Do not use steam in pressing, finishing, etc.
No Dry Cleaning Use recommended methods. No drycleaning materials should be used.

22. Simple Letter Code Care Labeling
What is not said on a care label is also important.
If the label does not say that you cannot do something, you can assume that you can
do it.
For instance, if a care label gives washing instructions but does not warn against dry
cleaning, you should be able to dry clean the garment.
Some retailers have their own care-labeling programme. One consists of a simple
letter code that identifies five basic cleaning methods.
MH Machine wash hot. Tumble dry.
MW Machine wash warm. Tumble dry.
MG Machine wash gentle. Tumble dry, low heat.
HW Hand wash warm. Line dry.
DC Dry clean only.

23. Internationally accepted Dry Cleaning Symbols
Symbols Instruction
Articles which are normally for dry cleaning in all solvents normally used
for drycleaning.
Articles which are used for normal dry cleaning in tetrachloroethylene,
trichlorofluoromethane (solvent 11) hydrocarbons (white spirit)
trichlorotrifluoroethane (solvent 113) using the normal dry cleaning process
without restriction.
Articles dry cleanable in the solvents given in the preceding paragraph, but
which are sensitive to some dry cleaning processes and for which there is a
strict limitation on the addition of water during cleaning, and/or certain
restrictions concerning mechanical action and/or drying temperature.
Articles which are normal for dry cleaning in hydrocarbons (white spirit) and
trichlorotrifluoromethane (solvent 113) using the normal dry cleaning
procedures, without restrictions.
Articles dry cleanable in the solvents given in the preceding paragraph, but
which are sensitive to some dry cleaning procedures and for which there is a
strict limitation on the addition to water during cleaning and/or certain
restrictions concerning mechanical action and/or drying temperature.
Do not dryclean

24. Japanese Care Labeling
Washing Ironing
Machine wash in water
May be ironed directly at 180°C -
tempcralure of 95DC or less.
280°C.
No other restriction.
Machine wash in water
May be ironed directly at 170°C -
temperature of 60°C or less.
160°C.
No other restriction.
Machine wash in water
May be ironed directly at 80°C -
temperature of 40°C or less.
120°C
No other restrictions.
Machine wash at delicate
cycle or hand wash in water Do not iron.
temperature of 40°C or less.
Machine wash at delicate May be ironed at 180°C -280°C, if a
cycle or hand wash in water cloth is placed between iron and
temperature of 30°C or less. garment.
Hand wash in w ater Use a medium hot iron with a
temperature of 30°C or less. cloth.
Do not wash (not washable)

25. Japanese Care Labeling
Bleaching Wringing
Wring softly by hand or spin dry
Use Chlorine Bleach
by machine quickly.
Do not Use Chlorine Bleach Do not Wring by hand
Drying Dry Cleaning
Dryclean. Use any dry
Hang Dry
cleaning agent.
Dryclean. Use only petroleum
Hang dry in Shade
based agent.
Lay Flat to Dry Do not dry clean.
Lay Flat to dry in Shade

26. Care labels indicating only
washing, spinning or wringing and drip drying

27. Care labels developed by the
National Retail Merchants Association