{"id":1372,"date":"2023-11-04T21:52:56","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T21:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hamletlaundry.com\/blog\/?p=1372"},"modified":"2023-11-05T17:40:17","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T17:40:17","slug":"laundry-symbols-origin-history-significance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hamletlaundry.com\/blog\/laundry-symbols-origin-history-significance","title":{"rendered":"Laundry Symbols: Origin, History, and Significance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What are Laundry Symbols?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Laundry<\/a> symbols, also known as care symbols, play a crucial role in conveying specific garment care instructions. These symbols, depicted as pictograms, universally represent methods for washing, drying, dry-cleaning, ironing<\/a>, or bleaching clothing<\/a> and textiles. They are the go-to guide for ensuring the longevity and quality of your clothing and can be typically located on care labels or tags of clothing items.<\/p>\n

Origin and History of Laundry Symbols<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Decades ago, before laundry symbols, care instructions were lengthy and often written out in full on garment tags. However, as global trade expanded and the need for standardized, language-independent systems grew, laundry symbols emerged.<\/p>\n

Early Beginnings<\/strong>: Before laundry symbols, care instructions were long-winded, written out in full on garment tags. However, as global trade expanded and became more international, a standardized, language-independent system was needed.<\/p>\n

Formation of GINETEX<\/strong>: The International Association for Textile Care Labelling (GINETEX) was founded in 1963 in Paris, marking a turning point. This organization is credited with creating the care labeling code based on symbols, which became patented and started appearing on garments sold worldwide.<\/p>\n

Standardization<\/strong>: Over the years, the symbols introduced by GINETEX<\/a> gained worldwide acceptance, leading to a more standardized approach to garment care. In the 1970s, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)<\/a> and the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) began developing their symbols, aligning them with the GINETEX system to avoid market confusion.<\/p>\n

Modern-Day Universality<\/strong>: Today, while slight variations exist in laundry symbols from one region to another, the core symbols remain largely consistent worldwide. This universality ensures that, whether you’re shopping locally or abroad, you can easily comprehend how to care for your garments properly.<\/p>\n

Understanding Laundry Symbols<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Washing Symbols<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These symbols actively guide you on the most suitable washing method for your garment:<\/p>\n