TS EN ISO 3758

TS EN ISO 3758 defines the graphic symbol system used to express textile care instructions on labels. The standard is intended to communicate, in a concise visual form, the most severe treatments a textile article can withstand without irreversible damage during normal care. In practice, it helps convey how a product may be washed, bleached, dried, ironed, and subjected to certain professional textile care processes.

How care symbols organise textile information

Care labelling sits at the intersection of material behaviour, garment construction, finishing, and end-user handling. A symbol-based code is especially useful because it reduces language barriers and makes instructions easier to recognise at a glance. In general technical terms, the system distinguishes domestic care from professional care, which matters because the equipment, solvents, temperatures, moisture levels, and mechanical action used in those processes can differ significantly.

Explicit boundaries in the scope

• Domestic treatments covered include washing, bleaching, drying, and ironing.
• Professional textile care treatments in dry cleaning and wet cleaning are also covered.
• Industrial laundering is excluded.
• Non-removable covers of upholstered furniture are excluded.
• Non-removable covers of mattresses are excluded.
• Carpets and rugs that require professional carpet cleaning are excluded.

As general technical context, the standard does not describe the fibre chemistry of every textile, but it provides a common labelling language for care-related risk management. That makes it relevant to manufacturers, brands, and care professionals who need consistent symbol usage across product lines and markets. TS EN ISO 3758 is therefore best understood as a harmonised care-labelling code rather than a product-performance standard.