Are the garments care labels always, correct? There are many reasons why frequently they are not. There are some strange labels that we should not trust. We will try to face this subject trying to provide some useful tips…
Care labels, main and secondary fabrics
The company is usually applying the care label recommended by the fabric supplier, forgetting that the garment has also some other secondary fabrics (lining) or accessories, that are requiring a different maintenance than the main fabric.
The garment has the following care label for to the outer fabric:
Black lining stained the white outer fabric
The lining has generally a good colour resistance to water washing (discharge index 4, on a rating scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good) while to dry-cleaning has a lower colour resistance (discharge index 2, on the rating scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). The black lining colour discharge is unavoidable when drycleaning.
The garment care label indicates water-washing only:
The fabric inserts are not solid, suffering a colour discharge when water-washed
The fabric inserts are not solid, suffering a colour discharge when water-washed
The garment has the following care label for to the outer fabric:
Faux leather pockets trim discharge
in dry-cleaning
Note: when washing garments with strong colour contrasts, besides the care label of the garment, it is advisable to obtain a declaration of indemnity.
Care labels, contradictory care instructions
It is happening sometimes when the garment has two different care labels attached, one that allows water-washing only, and another one that indicates dry-cleaning only.
Note: you must inform the customer regarding the two contrasting care labels, do not wash, or wash only after obtaining a declaration of indemnity.
There are additional care notes on the garment that should alert the consumer when buying it, as well as the launderer at the reception; we can find them generally on resin-coated garments that fade away as result of the rubbing stress during wearing, due to the degradation of the resin.
For such garments, please check the condition of the garment upon receipt, if it already has some visible present defects, that will become even more highlighted after washing, as shown in the following photos:
Foundation fading Fading along the seams
Often you can see confusing and incorrect care labels, like those as shown in the following photos:
– On the written instructions is recommended the dry-cleaning, while the symbols are indicating waterwashing
– Do not wash or dryclean, please address to specialized laundries
– The manufacturer takes no responsibility for possible defects after washing
– Dry-clean and dry-flat
The accessories may undergo some changes as in the following case:
The pearls have melted, even if the
the dry-cleaning was allowed by the care label attached to the garment
Note: you must inform the customer regarding the incorrect label, do not wash, or wash only after obtaining a declaration of indemnity.
Care labels, different colour shades
Sometimes the garments might present different colour shades between the uncovered and the covered parts, with strange indications on the care label.
Note: always check for colour shade differences between the covered and the uncovered parts; if they are present, you must inform the customer, do not wash, or wash only after obtaining a declaration of indemnity.
On velvet garments, always check at the knees (trousers) and shoulders (jackets) if a part of the pile is missing.
Straight-cut velvet Back side of the velvet
The wearing rubbing, especially in the most stressed areas of the body (knees and shoulders) causes the pile detachment, in the case of the fabrics with a simple V-shaped insertion. The pile is not being detached from outside, but from inside of the fabric, in contact with the skin. It is well-known that frequently for some of the velvet trousers, the tearing is higher in the area of the knees and the bottom part compared to some other parts. •
by ING. VITTORIO CIANCI
Director LART – Laboratorio Analisi e Ricerca Tessile
LART
Laboratorio Analisi e Ricerca Tessile
Textile Research and Analysis Laboratory
Via Vasco de Gama 2 41012 CARPI (MO)
Tel. 059 645279
lart@lartessile.it – www.lartessile.it
DETERGO Magazine # March 2023
