ASTM Issues Revised Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products – D5489-18
A new version of ASTM D5489 for care labeling instructions has been released, bringing the standard into better alignment with ISO symbols and clarifying the FTC’s Care Labeling Rule.
- (1888PressRelease) June 08, 2018 - The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has released an amended version of its standard ASTM D5489 – Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products.
The 2018 version, ASTM D5489-18, is better aligned with ISO symbols and clarifies the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR 423). The rule states that, if care symbols are used without words, then the symbols in ASTM D5489-96c must be used. However, the symbols included in the revised version of ASTM D5489-18 may be used if they are used in addition to full care instructions written in English wording.
These rules demand at least four symbols, whether they are composed of words or symbols. These will be in the order: washing, bleaching, drying and ironing. One symbol should also be used for dry cleaning / professional textile care instructions, with additional symbols or words used to clarify instructions.
The new version, ASTM 5489-18, includes optional symbols for professional wet cleaning but this can only be used when other full care instructions are included, e.g. when dry cleaning or machine washing/drying symbols are present.
The primary differences between ASTM D5489-96c and ASTM D5489-18 are:
• ASTM D5489-18 includes symbols for ‘wet clean’ under professional textile care instructions (‘normal’, ‘mild’, ‘very mild’ + ‘Do not wet clean’)
• ASTM D5489-18 has dry clean symbols with ‘P’ and ‘F’ for condition of ‘normal cycle’ and ‘mild cycle’
Stakeholders are now advised to check their products comply with the latest requirements for care labeling in the US.
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