What “Care Labelling Means”
(Source: The Dry Cleaning Institute of Australia reference material)
CARE LABELLING is a consumer product information standard (AS 1956-1987) which was made mandatory under the Trade Practices Act and which has been mirrored in legislation in most Sates.
Many fibres, fabrics, finishes and ornamentations require particular care treatment. Unsuitable treatments can cause damage such as running colours, shrinkage or melting as a result of excessive heat or the incorrect cleaning mediums (water or one of the three dry cleaning solvents).
Consumers should not have to resort to trial and error methods to discover the appropriate care method. Nor should they suffer losses because suppliers provide inadequate or incorrect care instructions.
When choosing an article of apparel make sure that it carries a manufacturer’s brand name so that in the event of dissatisfaction you will be able to source the supplier.
Articles of apparel retailed in Australia must carry permanent labels providing this information:
- Country of Origin
- Fibre content eg. 80% wool, 20% polyester
- Care instructions for washing, drying, ironing, dry cleaning and prohibitions against specific actions such as “Do Not Bleach”. These instructions must be in English (symbols are not acceptable) and in the case of dry cleaning must be accompanied by A , P , F identifying the most suitable solvent.