Generate ISO 3758 compliant washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning symbols based on your fabric's exact specifications. Used by garment manufacturers for export-ready care labels.
Choose the four parameters below. The generator applies ISO 3758 logic to assign the maximum-safe care treatment for each category.
Please select all four fields before generating.
These five symbols represent the maximum-safe care treatment for your specified fabric. Use them in this exact sequence on your garment label.
Care Instructions
Every standard ISO 3758 care symbol with its meaning. Manufacturers, buyers, and QC teams use this chart to verify label accuracy before bulk production.
Wash 30°C
Machine wash, max 30°C, normal cycle
Wash 40°C
Machine wash, max 40°C, normal cycle
Wash 60°C
Machine wash, max 60°C, normal cycle
Wash 95°C
Machine wash, max 95°C, normal cycle
Gentle 40°C
Machine wash, max 40°C, gentle cycle
Very Gentle 30°C
Machine wash, max 30°C, very gentle — for delicates and wool
Hand Wash
Hand wash only. Do not machine wash.
Do Not Wash
Do not wash. Dry clean only.
Any Bleach
Chlorine or non-chlorine bleach allowed when needed
Non-Chlorine Only
Only oxygen / non-chlorine bleach when needed
Do Not Bleach
No bleach under any circumstances
Tumble Dry Low
Tumble dry, low heat — 1 dot
Tumble Dry Normal
Tumble dry, normal heat — 2 dots
Tumble Dry High
Tumble dry, high heat — 3 dots
Do Not Tumble Dry
No tumble drying. Air dry only.
Line Dry
Hang to dry on line after washing
Drip Dry
Drip dry after washing, do not wring
Dry Flat
Lay flat to dry, reshape while damp
Iron Low 110°C
Iron at max 110°C, no steam. For synthetics and silk.
Iron Warm 150°C
Iron at max 150°C, steam or dry. For wool, polyester.
Iron Hot 200°C
Iron at max 200°C, steam or dry. For cotton and linen.
Do Not Iron
Do not iron or press. For coated and printed fabrics.
Dry Clean Any
Dry clean with any solvent
Petroleum Solvent
Dry clean with petroleum-based solvent only
Hydrocarbon Only
Dry clean with hydrocarbon solvent only
Wet Clean
Professional wet cleaning allowed
Do Not Dry Clean
No dry cleaning — wash only
Fabric composition is the first variable in any correct care label. These are the industry-standard safe care parameters for each major textile used in garment production.
01 — Cotton
Cotton is the most wash-tolerant natural fibre. Plain white or light-coloured cotton can be washed at 60°C or even 95°C without structural damage. Dark or reactive-dyed cotton should stay at 40°C to prevent fading. Cotton can be tumble-dried at normal heat and pressed with a hot iron, making it one of the easiest fabrics to care-label for export production.
02 — Polyester
Polyester is heat-sensitive and pills under high mechanical agitation. Wash at 30–40°C on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry on low heat only — high heat causes permanent fibre distortion. Iron at 150°C maximum with a pressing cloth to prevent sheen damage. Disperse dyes on polyester tolerate dilute bleach, but always label "do not bleach" to protect print or coating layers.
03 — Wool
Wool felts irreversibly when exposed to heat and agitation together. Machine wash only on a dedicated wool or hand-wash cycle at 30°C maximum. Never tumble dry — always dry flat to prevent stretching and misshaping. Iron with a damp cloth at 150°C. Acid dyes on wool are chlorine-sensitive, so the label must read "do not bleach" in all cases.
04 — Silk
Silk loses up to 20% of its tensile strength when wet. Hand wash in cold or 30°C water using a silk-specific detergent. Never wring — drip dry away from direct sunlight, which causes yellowing. Iron on reverse at 110°C maximum, dry setting only. Steam damages silk permanently. Always label "do not bleach" and "dry clean recommended" for production safety.
05 — Nylon / Polyamide
Nylon is strong but heat-sensitive. Machine wash at 30–40°C on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry on low heat — high temperatures cause permanent deformation. Iron inside-out at 150°C maximum without steam. Nylon tends to absorb dye from other fabrics in the wash, so always wash separately. Acid or disperse dyes on nylon are bleach-sensitive.
06 — Viscose / Rayon
Viscose is significantly weaker when wet and shrinks easily. Hand wash in cold water or machine wash on a delicate cycle at 30°C maximum. Never tumble dry or wring — drip dry flat to prevent distortion. Reactive dyes on viscose are moderately bleach-sensitive. Iron at 150°C while slightly damp for best results. Dry clean is always the safest option for constructed garments.
07 — Spandex / Lycra
Spandex and elastane fibres degrade rapidly under heat. Always wash at 30°C maximum on a gentle cycle. Never tumble dry — heat destroys the elastic recovery permanently. Do not iron directly as spandex melts at low temperatures. In cotton-elastane blends, the care label must reflect the most heat-sensitive component, which is always the spandex content.
08 — Linen
Linen is highly durable and wash-tolerant. Plain linen can be machine washed at 60°C and even boiled for hygiene applications. Tumble dry at low heat to avoid excessive creasing. Linen irons best while still slightly damp at 200°C with steam. Linen softens significantly after repeated washing, which is considered desirable — this should be communicated to end consumers on the label.
Major import markets each have their own legally binding care labeling standards. Mislabeled garments risk rejection at customs, product recalls, and fines. Know what each market requires before production starts.
USA
FTC Care Labeling Rule — 16 CFR Part 423 / ASTM D5489
The FTC requires care labels to be permanently attached and legible throughout the garment's useful life. Labels must include written instructions in English — symbols alone are insufficient. Water temperature, drying method, and ironing requirements must all be stated. Violations carry fines of up to $16,000 per mislabeled garment under the FTC Act.
EU
EU Regulation No 1007/2011 / ISO 3758:2023
The EU mandates care labeling using the five-symbol ISO 3758 system. Labels must be durable, legible, and securely attached. Fibre content must also appear on the same label. Since the 2023 ISO 3758 update, updated symbols for gentle and very gentle wash cycles must be used. The regulation applies to all textile products sold to end consumers in the EU single market.
Japan
JIS L0001:2014 (aligned to ISO 3758)
Japan adopted the ISO 3758-aligned JIS L0001 standard in 2016, replacing its previous pictogram system. Labels must include Japanese-language instructions alongside symbols. The standard covers 41 care symbols with some Japan-specific variations around professional laundering. The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) enforces compliance under the Home Goods Quality Labeling Act.
China
GB/T 8685-2008 / GB 5296.4
China's mandatory standard GB 5296.4 requires care instructions, fibre content, and manufacturer information on all garment labels. The GB/T 8685 standard governs the care symbols used, which closely follow ISO 3758 with Chinese-specific additions. Labels must be written in simplified Chinese. The General Administration of Quality Supervision (AQSIQ) enforces labeling compliance at import.
Australia
Australian Standard AS 1957 / ACCC Guidelines
Australia follows a voluntary care labeling standard based on ISO 3758 symbols. While not legally mandated for most garments, the ACCC requires that all product information supplied must be accurate under Australian Consumer Law. Mislabeled care instructions that cause consumer harm are actionable as misleading conduct. Most Australian buyers require ISO-compliant labels as a commercial condition.
Canada
Canada Consumer Product Safety Act / CGSB 86-GP-1
Canada uses a symbol-based system derived from ISO 3758. Labels must be permanently attached and bilingual — English and French — for products sold nationwide. The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act governs compliance. Canadian symbols are broadly consistent with the ISO system, with some historical colour-coding differences on older standards that have since been aligned to the international format.
These errors appear repeatedly in factory audits and customs inspections. Each one is preventable at the specification stage, before production begins.
01
A 95% cotton / 5% spandex blend labeled for cotton care is incorrect. The care symbol must reflect the most heat-sensitive component. The spandex content restricts drying temperature and ironing temperature for the entire garment.
02
A printed cotton t-shirt cannot carry the same 60°C label as an unfinished cotton shell. Screen prints and sublimation prints require 40°C maximum to prevent cracking and colour migration. Always reassign symbols after any special finish is added.
03
Dye type determines bleach tolerance, not fibre type. Cotton dyed with acid dyes — a non-standard but used process — cannot be bleached even though plain cotton normally can. Always factor the dye chemistry into the bleach symbol decision.
04
EU Regulation No 1007/2011 requires the ISO 3758 symbol system. Labels with text instructions only — "machine wash warm, tumble dry low" — do not meet EU compliance requirements, regardless of accuracy. Symbols must appear in the correct five-category sequence.
05
ISO 3758:2023 introduced new symbols for gentle and very gentle wash cycles, and updated the professional textile care section. Garments produced for EU buyers using only the 2012 symbol set may fail technical compliance checks from buyers who audit against the current standard.
06
Care label legibility is legally required for the garment's useful life — not just at the point of sale. Labels printed on non-woven substrates or sewn with improper thread can fade or detach after twenty washes. Test labels through AATCC 135 wash cycles before bulk production sign-off.
The five basic ISO 3758 symbols are the wash tub (washing), triangle (bleaching), square (drying), iron (ironing), and circle (professional textile care / dry cleaning). Each base symbol has a set of modifications — dots indicate temperatures, bars below indicate gentler mechanical action, and an X through any symbol means that treatment is prohibited. Labels must present these five symbols in that exact sequence.
ISO 3758 is the international standard for textile care labeling using graphic symbols, maintained by the International Organization for Standardization. It creates a language-independent system that works across all export markets. The most recent version, ISO 3758:2023 (Edition 4), added refined symbols for gentle and very gentle wash cycles and clarified the professional textile care section. Compliance means your garment can be correctly cared for by any consumer worldwide.
Yes, in all major import markets. The USA mandates them under the FTC Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423), with fines up to $16,000 per mislabeled item. The EU requires them under Regulation No 1007/2011. Japan enforces them under the Home Goods Quality Labeling Act. China requires them under GB 5296.4. Australia and Canada have additional requirements for bilingual labeling and long-term legibility. Non-compliance can result in shipment rejection, recalls, and market bans.
Each fibre has a different tolerance to heat, water, and chemical treatment. Cotton handles 60°C machine washing. Wool and silk are restricted to 30°C with very gentle mechanical action. Synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon are heat-sensitive during drying and ironing rather than washing. In blended fabrics, every symbol must reflect the most restrictive fibre — not the dominant one. A 95/5 cotton-elastane blend carries spandex's restrictions on drying and ironing, regardless of the cotton content.
ISO 3758 is the international standard used by the EU, Japan, China, Australia, and most global markets — it relies on symbols as the primary communication system. ASTM D5489 is the American version and requires written English instructions alongside the symbols. Under ASTM, "machine wash warm" must appear as text even if the corresponding wash tub symbol is also shown. For garments shipping to both the USA and EU, labels must carry both ISO symbols and English text instructions to comply with both standards simultaneously.
Dye chemistry determines bleach tolerance independently of fibre type. Reactive dyes on cotton are often bleach-resistant, but some reactive shades are sensitive to oxidising bleach — always test. Acid dyes on wool and silk are chlorine-sensitive and require "do not bleach." Disperse dyes on polyester generally tolerate dilute non-chlorine bleach. Vat dyes are inherently bleach-resistant. Pigment-printed fabrics must never be bleached as bleach destroys the binder layer regardless of the base fibre.
This tool generates ISO 3758 compliant symbols based on established fabric-dye-finish logic used in commercial production. For any new fabric construction, dye combination, or special finish going into bulk, always verify care instructions through wash testing on actual production samples — particularly for dimensional stability and colour fastness. The manufacturer holds legal responsibility for label accuracy in all markets. This generator is a professional starting point, not a substitute for lab-based care label testing.
A single bar below the wash tub means a gentle cycle — reduced mechanical action, suitable for easy-care fabrics and permanently pressed garments. Two bars indicate a very gentle cycle, used for wool, silk, and other mechanically sensitive constructions. No bar means a normal cycle at that temperature. This modifier system was formalised in ISO 3758:2023 to align with the wash cycle classifications used on modern washing machines across all major markets.
ISO reviews standards on a five-year cycle. ISO 3758 has been revised in 1993, 2005, 2012, and most recently in 2023 — that fourth edition is the current standard. Each revision typically adds new symbols, clarifies modifier systems, and aligns with changes in washing machine technology and consumer market expectations. For production teams, the practical implication is to check which edition a buyer's spec sheet references and ensure your label supplier's print files reflect the correct current symbol shapes.
ISO 3758 specifies minimum symbol heights: 7mm for woven labels and 10mm for printed labels to ensure readability after repeated laundering. Labels must be placed where they are easily found by the consumer — typically the centre back neck, left side seam, or waistband interior. For USA-bound garments, the FTC additionally requires the label to remain permanently attached and legible for the garment's reasonable useful life, which is interpreted as a minimum of 25 commercial wash cycles in compliance testing.
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SDF Clothing produces garments with correct care labeling, fibre content verification, and full compliance documentation for EU, USA, UK, and Australian markets. MOQ from 300 pieces.
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