Overview
EN ISO 3758:2023 - Textiles: Care labelling code using symbols is the CEN-adopted version of ISO 3758 (2023). It establishes an international system of graphic care symbols for marking textile articles and specifies how to use those symbols to indicate the most severe treatments that do not cause irreversible damage. The standard covers domestic care (washing, bleaching, drying, ironing) and professional textile care (dry and wet cleaning), while excluding industrial laundering, professional carpet cleaning and certain non-removable upholstery/mattress covers.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Symbol set and definitions: Formal descriptions of main care symbols and additional descriptives for consistent label design and interpretation.
- Washing guidance: Symbols for machine and hand washing, including a new symbol for hand wash at ambient temperature introduced in the 2023 edition.
- Bleaching, drying and ironing: Standardized icons and qualifiers (e.g., temperature dots, prohibition marks) to convey maximum-safe treatments; a new symbol for ironing without steam was added in 2023.
- Professional care: Symbols and solvent designations for dry and wet professional cleaning, with updated solvent options in the latest revision.
- Application rules: Where and how symbols should appear on labels; selecting the correct symbol based on material characteristics and test methods.
- Annexes for implementation:
- Annex A - Characteristics and test methods for selecting symbols.
- Annex B - Regional/national labelling requirements.
- Annex C - Examples of additional wording.
- Annex D - Guidance on adapting registered graphical symbols for practical use.
- Scope & definitions: Clarifies applicability to textile articles (definition includes goods containing at least 80% textile material by mass) and lists specified exclusions.
Practical applications
- Ensures consistent care labelling across manufacturers and markets, helping consumers avoid irreversible damage during home washing or professional cleaning.
- Guides textile product developers, quality managers and label designers when specifying care instructions on garments, home textiles and made-up articles.
- Provides actionable information for retailers, laundries and dry cleaners to interpret care labels reliably.
- Supports compliance with European national standards when EN adoption is required.
Who should use this standard
- Textile and apparel manufacturers
- Label and garment designers
- Quality assurance and compliance teams
- Professional launderers and dry cleaners
- Standards bodies and regulatory authorities
Related standards
- ISO 30023 - Symbols for industrial laundering (industrial processes excluded from ISO 3758).
- ISO 7000 - Registered graphical symbols (referenced for adaptation in Annex D).
- GINETEX - International care labelling system; the EN ISO 3758 symbols align with GINETEX practices and note intellectual property considerations for some core symbols.
Keywords: EN ISO 3758:2023, care labelling, textile care symbols, washing symbols, dry cleaning symbols, bleaching, tumble drying, ironing, professional textile care.