INDEX

MANDATORY LABELINGThe Wool Products Labeling ActThe Fur Products Labeling ActThe Flammable Fabrics ActThe Textile Fiber Products Identification ActCautionary Labeling ActPermanent Care Labeling ActForm and Nature of Permanent Care Instructions

VOLUNTARY LABELINGUnbranded FibersTrademark FibersLicensing AgreementsWool Mark LabelGuaranteed Performance Labeling

FABRIC CARE

A GOOD INFORMATIVE LABEL

KEEPING UP WITH LABELS AND HANG TAGS

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Labels and hang tagsare important guides to help

you. the consumer, know what toexpect from the textile productsyou buy, and how to take care of them.When you look at a label, you’ll findtwo types of information:1. Mandatory—information required bythe federal government.

2. Voluntary— information sup-plied by the fiber, fabric and

garment manufacturer.

MANDATORY LABELINGTo protect the consumer against deceptive labeling, the UnitedStates Government has defined certain terms that are used ontextile products. The acts, enforced by the Federal Trade Com-mission (FTC) through its Bureau of Textiles and Furs, are:

The Wool Products Labeling ActThe Fur Products Labeling ActThe Flammable Fabrics ActThe Textile Fiber Products Identification ActCautionary Label on Glass FabricsPermanent Care Labeling Act

To become more skilled in buying textile goods, the consumer( should know the gist of these acts and how each one affects

textile products.

THE WOOL PRODUCTS LABELING ACTEnforcement of the Wool Products Labeling Act has helped theconsumer by practically eliminating hazy terms such as “partwool.” “Part wool” could mean from 50 percent wool to little orno wool. Reused and reprocessed wools were often substitutedfor the high priced virgin wool but sold to consumers at 100 per-cent virgin wool prices. This act has also curbed the mislabelingof lower priced animal fibers as expensive specialty fibers.

Definition of Wool Terms-Wool—fiber made from the fleece of sheep or lamb or hair ofangora or cashmere goat, camel, alpaca, llama, vicufia whichhas never been reclaimed from woven or felted goods.'Reprocessed wool—fibers woven or felted into consumer pro-ducts which have never been used by the consumer and are thenchanged back into a fibrous state for reweaving or refelting.-Reused wool—fibers woven or felted into consumer products,used by the consumer, and then changed back into a fibrous statefor reweaving or refelting.

Summary of Wool Products Labeling Act-All products containing any amount of wool, reprocessed woolor reused wool fibers must be labeled by percentage. This in-cludes not only the outer fabric but linings, interlinings, stiffen-ings and trimmings containing wool.

-The term virgin or new wool cannot be used if the product con-tains any reprocessed or reused wool.-Specialty fiber names—cashmere, mohair, camel, alpaca, llamaand vicufia can be used in the place of wool. The percentage byweight and classification—new, reprocessed, reused—must begiven.The term “fur fiber” may be applied to any animal hair or furcoming from sheep, lamb, angora goat, cashmere goat, camel,alpaca, llama, and vicuna. The name of the fiber producinganimal cannot be given unless more than five percent of the fiberis used.

FUR PRODUCTS LABELING ACTThe consumer is assured by the FTC that anyfur or fur product purchased is clearly labeledas to the name of the fur bearing animal(s)and type (new, used, damaged, scrap) furcomprising the product. The country of originmust also be stated. Fur products using dyed,bleached, or artificially colored fur must alsobe so labeled. The act has prohibited manu-facturers from using fake or over-glamorizednames such as Minx or Sableton for fur andfur products. Terms used in reference tonatural fur such as guardhair or underfurcan not be used on man-made fur. The labelmay read, “Looks like Fur” but not “Lookslike Mink.” These regulations make it possi-ble for consumers to better judge the qualityand price of fur products.

FLAMMABLE FABRICS ACTMany highly flammable fabrics have alreadybeen removed from the consumer’s market.The act has made fiber and fabric manu-facturers aware that nonflammable fibers andfabrics are a priority for textile researchers todevelop.The act covers:-all wearing apparel, regardless of material,fiber content or construction.- all fabrics sold for wearing apparel.- all interior furnishings subject to regulations.The act grants authority to the Secretary ofCommerce to conduct research into theflammability of products, develop flammabletest methods and testing devices.

TEXTILE FIBER PRODUCTSIDENTIFICATION ACTRegulations governing this act were devel-oped to help the consumer know what fibersmake up a textile product. Trademark andgeneric names may both be listed on a label

or hang tag. The generic name can bethought of as a family name, such as polyes-ter, acrylic, nylon. Tradesnames could bethought of as members of a specific family—Dacron Polyester, Fortrel Polyester, KodelPolyester, Treveria Polyester.Knowing the characteristics of each familyof fibers will help the consumer know whatperformance he can expect from a product.Labels must state:~The percentage in order of predominanceby weight of each fiber making up five per-cent or more of the total weight.-Fibers making up less than five percent ofthe total weight may not be named but mustbe listed as “other fibers,” unless the fiber(s)have clearly stated functional purpose in theparticular product.

-The generic (family) names of all fiberspresent—five percent or more must be given.-Tradenames for man-made fibers may begiven. The generic name must accompanythe tradename with the tradename in thesame size print as the generic name.

' RN 2165100% Treveria Polyester

-The country of origin if the product is im-ported, unless the product is changed. Fab-rics imported to the U.S. and made intogarments by U.S. manufacturers do not re-quire a country of origin on the label. Anyfabric that is to be sold over the counter aspiecegoods must have the country of origin.

100% polyester 7Imported: Japan

- If the garment has two or more parts suchas skirts and jacket, information showing thefiber content of each part can be placed ononelabeL'The face and back of pile fabric must belabeled separately and the proportion of faceto back fabric must be given.

RN 1592

100% Acrylic(Back is 60%of Fabric& Pile is 40%)

- Labels on sectional garments, such as foun-dation garments, can be stated on one labelprovided the fiber composition of each sec-tion is identified.

RN 2684

Front & Back Non- ElasticSections: 100% Nylon

Elastic: 100%Lycra Spandex

- Fibers in trimming, braids, embroideries andribbons—need not be identified if the trim is15 percent or less of the surface area of theproduct.-Piece-good fabrics must be labeled on theend of bolt, or attached tag or both.°Remnants do not have to be labeled as tofiber content. If one fiber on a remnant fab-ric is mentioned, the total content by weightmust be stated.

RN 7291

80% Rayon20% Nylon

-A biconstituent or multiconstituent fibermust be labeled as such with the genericname of the constituents in order of pre-dominance by weight.-Biconstituent or multiconstituent fibers areman-made fibers, chemically different fromone another, which have been combinedtogether in a liquid state.~The act also specifies that it is unlawful toremove or mutilate fiber content labels be-fore textile products are delivered to theconsumer.

RN 51 74

100%Biconstituent

Fiber(65% Nylon,

35% Polyester)

~Generic names that must be used in label—ing man-made fibers:

Acetate Acrylic ModacrylicTriacetate Anidex* NylonRayon Azlon (1) Nytril (1)

Glass OlefinMetallic Polyester

RubberSaranSpandexVinal (1)Vinyon

(1) Fiber which is not produced in U.S.Anidex* is the newest generic name. It isused in consumer goods to impart comfortstretch.

Limitations of the Act-Fiber content alone on the label does not:

indicate or guarantee qualityspecify expected performancegive recommended care instructions

The law does not require distinction betweenoriginal and improved yarn types withingeneric (family) classifications. For examplerayon may have regular rayon yarns or highmodulus; rayon yarns. The high modulusyarns would give the fabric greater strength.However, no label distinction is required bylaw.Another example: a fabric that containsKodel Polyester may contain Kodel 4, whichgives permanent whiteness or another Kodelfiber that does not offer the same degree ofwhiteness. Again no distinction is required onthelabeL

CAUTIONARY LABELINGThe FTC requires that manufacturers ofglass fiber curtains and draperies and glasscurtain and drapery fabrics include a caution-ary statement on the label stating that skin irri-tation can result from handling or washingthese glass fiber fabrics. Consumers are nowmade aware of injury to the skin in washing,sewing, or handling the glass fiber fabrics.They should also take extra precaution inthoroughly rinsing the container used forwashing glass fabrics.

PERMANENT CARE LABELINGThe purpose of this regulation is to providethe consumer with the most appropriate careand maintenance procedure for textile wear-ing apparel. Permanent care guide instruc-tions if followed should:- eliminate product damage resulting from im-proper care procedure.-help maintain the life expectancy of thegarment.-improve the ability of consumers to makemore accurate cost comparison of wearingapparel.Items Covered- articles of clothing that require care andmaintenance for ordinary use.- piece goods used by consumers to make ap-parel.- domestic and imported textile products.Items Not Covered~Headwear, handwear, and footwear includ-ing hosiery.~Appare| that requires no care (such as dis-posable products)-Piece good remnants sold in ten yard lengthsor less when not cut from a fabric bolt.Items of Apparel Exempted by FTC UponPefiflon-Completely washable items retailing for$3.00 or less.'Articles whose appearance or usefulnesswill be severely altered by a permanently at-tached label.

FORM AND NATURE OF PERMANENT CAREINSTRUCTIONSCare instructions must be:Permanently attached to the clothing article.Piece good fabrics must be accompanied bya care label that can be permanently affixed

by normal household methods (sewing, iron-ing, etc.) to the finished article.Readable for the life-time of wearing ap-parel.~Thorough.Care instructions should give suitable meth-ods of washing, bleaching, drying, ironing,and drycleaning.Care instructions must warn the purchaseragainst care treatment which will alter theappearance or expected performance of ap-parel.

VOLUNTARY LABELINGIn addition to label information required bylaw, many manufacturers give supplementaryfacts to help consumers select and care fortextile products. Some of these facts may bein the form of trademark or brand names.Brand names or trademarks can appear ontextile products along with the generic nameprovided the size and type print is the sameas that used to indicate the generic name.To understand information on the label, aconsumer should know the three ways a fibermanufacturer sells his goods.1- UNBRANDED FIBERSThe label only states the generic name ofthe fiber; no tradenames of fibers are given.Unbranded fibers have no end use restrictionplaced upon them by fiber manufacturers.For example, polyester fibers may be usedfor garments, carpets, tires and many otheritems. Each of these end uses requires dif-ferent performance characteristics. Polyesterfibers, made specifically for garments,should not be used in tires or carpets. If theconsumer buys unbranded fibers, he doesn’tknow how the fiber is supposed to be used.And he doesn’t know the quality: first, secondorthird.

2. BRANDED OR TRADE MARKED FIBERSFibers names such as Dacron or Kodel Poly-ester are registered as trademarks with theUnited States Patent Office. The trademarkname may be used only in connection withthat particular fiber manufactured by a partic-ular company.The trademark used on the label assures theconsumer that fiber producers have con-trolled the quality of the fiber.Most fiber manufacturers consider it theirduty to produce quality-controlled fibers andyarns and offer technical assistance to fabricmanufacturers. Fabric performance is still,for the most part, the responsibility of thefabric manufacturer.3. LICENSING AGREEMENTUnder this arrangement, a manufacturer buysthe right to use the licensed trademark ofanother company, for example, Fortrel Poly-ester of Celanese. In return he must meetcertain standards set by the parent company,

in this case Celanese. Licensing agreementsare applicable to fibers, yarns, fabrics, finishesand dyes.Licensed trademarks benefit the consumerby insuring the product has been qualitycontrolled at the fiber and fabric stage.A textile product which is covered under alicensed agreement should give satisfactionin wear and care.

The wool mark symbol indi- Wool Markcates fabric made of high Labelquality virgin wool. The labelcan be found on wearing ap-parel, blankets, and carpets.When the wool mark accom-panies knitted garments,specific care instructions are “mmprovided. The wool mark is aninternational symbol.

GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE LABELING

This type of label tells the consumer that the textile product isguaranteed. Most textile products backed by guarantees are ad-vertised to give satisfactory wear for a specified amount of time.Some guarantee programs deal with one segment of a fabric’swear performance. An example of this type guarantee is Everfast.This trademark on a label provides a money back guarantee forcolorfastness in fabrics.To establish a guaranteed program, a company sets up standardsof quality and performance which must be met. A guaranteed per-formance label is only as good as the quality standards set forthby the company.Examples of Guaranteed Performance Labels:

° Monsanto Chemical Company—Wear DatedMonsanto Company guarantees that textile products containingtheir acrylic, nylon, and polyester fibers will give normal wear fora stated period of time or replacement or money back guarantee.

- Apparel is guaranteed for one year.- Blankets are guaranteed for three years.- Curtains, draperies and coverlets for two years.- Sheets are guaranteed for five years.- Dow-Badische Company guarantees apparel made from their

Zefkrome or Zefran ll Acrylic fibers will give normal wear for oneyear or replacement or money back guarantee.

-Collins and Aikman guarantees their Certifab bonded fabricsagainst fabric separation under normal wear when drycleaned orlaundered in accordance with the garment manufacturers in-structions.Important: All three companies, Monsanto, Dow-Badische andCollins and Aikman, state that the sales slip and hang tag mustbe returned with the unsatisfactory merchandise if a replacementor refund is made.

BADISCHEZEFRAN‘ II ACRYLICGUARANTEE100". IIIRAN II Al RYIIC

FABRIC CARE

With the rapid developments in textiles, knowing just the fibercontent is not enough. Washable fibers do not necessarily make afabric washable; neither does a washable fabric mean that thegarment is washable. Other factors such as fabric finish andmethod of applying finish, type of dye, notions, decorative trim,lining, and interfacing determine a garment’s care.

Read the label before buying:

-100 percent cotton or rayon fabric. Cotton and rayon fabricsmay shrink from as little as 1 percent to as much as 12 percent insome knits.

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- Bright, intense colored fabric such as shocking pink, orangesand similar colors are obtained by using fluorescent dyes whichtend to fade over a period of use.Buy these colored garments for aesthetic pleasure, but expectthese colors to become less intense and duller with washing andwearing.

. Printed fabric may show color loss because abrasion (wear)may rub some of the color off the fabric surface. To avoid excessloss, select fabrics where the print and dye on the back are almostas distinct as those on the face fabric. For good dye retention theback of the fabric should look nearly as good as the face fabric.

- Flocked designed fabric in which the flocking is applied by ad-hesive. The adhesive may not withstand washing or drycleaning.Most flock designs today are applied with an adhesive.

- Bonded or laminated fabrics. These fabrics may separate orshrink when washed or drycleaned.The Stoddard drycleaning solvent should be used on bonded andlaminated fabrics for best care results.

-Press—on linings and interfacings. These fabrics may shrinkwhen washed or drycleaned. If shrinkage occurs, it is impossible topress the garment to a satisfactory smooth appearance.

- Fabrics which are chemically quilted—no threads, no stitching.These fabrics may lose their sculptured design partially or alto—gether when drycleaned.

- Fabric belts. When the face fabric is glued to a belt backing, itshould not be drycleaned. Belt coverings that are stitched to thebacking can be satisfactorily drycleaned. Many fabric belts haveplastic backing that requires special handling.

' Fabrics with a special finish. Any fabric which has a specialfinish applied such as durable press, soil release, water repellant,vinyl coating should give explicit care instructions.

'Topstitched garment. Some colors such as navy and red have atendency to “bleed.” This could turn the topstitching an off color.

- Fake furs. Some man-made furs can be machine washed; otherscan be hand washed or drycleaned only. Most machine or handwashed fake fur needs to be brushed while the fibers are stillwet to retain an attractive appearance.

- Leather and leather trimmed garments. Leather requires spe-cial drycleaning treatment to prevent it from stiffening and becom-ing hard. Suede also has to be cleaned by appropriate drycleaningmethods.

- Metallic fabrics. All metallics are sensitive to abrasion and flex-ing. Some can be washed and ironed at low temperature; otherfabrics have to be drycleaned. The drycleaning solvent whichgives best cleaning results on metallics is perchloethylene.

- Wet look fabric. Three different fabric constructions are usedto give the smooth, high-gloss look:

(1) Expanded or supported vinyls with knit or woven backing;(2) Unsupported film which may be clear, transparent, orprinted; (3) Resin finished fabrics, either vinyl or modifiedpolyurethane.

Fabric construction determines the method of care. Modifiedpolyurethane resin finished fabrics can be drycleaned; supportedor expanded vinyls should be wetcleaned. if the fabric has awoven or knit backing, it is an expanded or supported vinyl.

- Vinyon and olefin fabric. These two generic fibers are very heat-sensitive and should be clearly labeled with a warning. Vinyon isa vinyl made from polyvinyl chloride. Olefins are made from poly-propylene and polyethlene. These fabrics are drycleanable; how-ever, they cannot withstand the high temperature used in thedrycleaner’s finishing process. Heat shrinkage occurs.

- Decorative trim. Some decorative trims that may cause troublein cleaning a garment are beads, sequins, paillettes and plastics.All plastic trims and notions such as buttons will melt in dryclean-ing. Since labels are the only way a consumer has of obtaining careinformation, it is very important to read and understand informa-tionon the label. Just as important to note is what is not includedon labels.

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A GOOD INFORMATIVE LABEL

A good informative label should be clear,concise and complete and tell the consumerthe following:

' Fiber content.-Special finish that gives specific appear-

ance or serviceability qualities to a fabric.° Colorfastness.- Percentage of shrinkage.- Specific directions on how to care for the

garment.'Trim composition if any is used and the

care it requires.-Licensed trademark or guarantee of the

product; if applicable.- Size of garment.- Price

KEEPING UP WITH LABELSAND HANG TAGS

Many ways of filing hang tag information havebeen devised for the consumer. Even thoughlabels are now permanently attached you maystill have some care information from previ—ous hang tags'that needs to be kept. Here is away to make your own permanent care label.Fabric suitable for making permanent carelabels should be firmly woven. Broadclothand iron—on interfacing fabrics are excellentlabel fabrics. Hang tag information can betransferred to the fabric label by using afabric pen marker or typewriter. Labels maybe permanently attached to a seam line orfacing by machine sewing or hand sewing.An iron can be used to apply an iron-onfabric label. Caution: most man-made fibersare heat sensitive and cannot take the hottemperature needed to permanently affix theiron—on interfacing to the garment.

Piece-goods fabric

EXAMPLE OF A GOOD LABEL

Ready-made garment

Grateful acknowledgement is given to the National Institute ofDrycleaning and the National Institute of Laundering for help inpreparing this publication.To simplify information, trade names of products have been used.No endorsement of named products is intended, nor is criticismimplied of similar products which are not mentioned.

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Prepared by Harriet R. TutterowExtension Clothing Specialist

Published byTHE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

North Carolina State University at Raleigh and the U. S. Department of Agricul-ture, Cooperating. State College Station, Raleigh, N. 0., George Hyatt, Jr.,Director. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June30, 1914.11—74-10M Home Economics 143

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