ASTM D3938-96

Standard Guide for Determining or Confirming Care Instructions for Apparel and Other Textile Consumer Products

SCOPE
1.1 This guide may be used to determine and confirm the appropriate care label instructions for apparel, piece goods, and other consumer textile products excluding textile floor coverings and upholstered fabrics.
1.2 This guide encompasses the following care procedures: home laundering, commercial laundering, professional drycleaning, and coin-operated drycleaning.
1.3 This guide includes provision for evaluating the complete consumer textile product and the product components.
1.4 This guide covers the performance characteristics as a result of refurbishing that are important in determining the acceptability of a textile product to the consumer.
1.5 This guide is appropriate for the evaluation of all garments and household textiles that are sold with permanently attached care labels.
1.5.1 This guide may also be used in connection with the evaluation of similar materials that do not have a care label.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Dec-2000
• ICS: 59.080.30 - Textile fabrics
• Technical Committee: D13 - Textiles
• Drafting Committee: D13.62 - Labeling

Relations

• Replaced By: ASTM D3938-00 - Standard Guide for Determining or Confirming Care Instructions for Apparel and Other Textile Consumer Products
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D5431-08(2019) - Standard Performance Specification for Woven and Knitted Sheeting Products for Institutional and Household Use
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D5253-04(2016) - Standard Terminology Relating to Floor Coverings and Textile Upholstered Furniture
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D5489-18 - Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D3181-15(2019) - Standard Guide for Conducting Wear Tests on Textiles
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM F3502-23a - Standard Specification for Barrier Face Coverings
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D6544-21 - Standard Practice for Preparation of Textiles Prior to Ultraviolet (UV) Transmission Testing
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D6322-15 - Standard Guide to International Test Methods Associated with Textile Care Procedures
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000
• Referred By: ASTM D6603-19 - Standard Specification for Labeling of UV-Protective Textiles
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-2000

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: D 3938 – 96
Standard Guide for
Determining or Confirming Care Instructions for Apparel
1
and Other Textile Consumer Products
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 3938; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2.3 AATCC Methods:
Technical Manual of the American Association of Textile
1.1 This guide may be used to determine and confirm the
5
Chemists and Colorists
appropriate care label instructions for apparel, piece goods, and
other consumer textile products excluding textile floor cover-
3. Terminology
ings and upholstered fabrics.
3.1 Definitions:
1.2 This guide encompasses the following care procedures:
3.1.1 care instructions, n—in textiles, a series of directions
home laundering, commercial laundering, professional dry-
describing which care practices should refurbish a product
cleaning, and coin-operated drycleaning.
without adverse effects and warnings for those care practices
1.3 This guide includes provision for evaluating the com-
expected to have a harmful effect.
plete consumer textile product and the product components.
3.1.2 care label, n—a label that gives directions for refur-
1.4 This guide covers the performance characteristics as a
bishing a product.
result of refurbishing that are important in determining the
3.1.3 care procedure, n—for consumer textile products,a
acceptability of a textile product to the consumer.
process by which products or specimens may be treated for soil
1.5 This guide is appropriate for the evaluation of all
removal and aesthetic improvement.
garments and household textiles that are sold with permanently
3.1.3.1 Discussion—The process employs appropriate
attached care labels.
equipment, materials and processes, and may include but need
1.5.1 This guide may also be used in connection with the
not be limited to the following: water or drycleaning solvent,
evaluation of similar materials that do not have a care label.
detergent or soap, foam, absorption (powder) type compounds,
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
bleach, agitation, drying, pressing or ironing.
safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the
3.1.4 commercial laundering, n—a process by which textile
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
products or specimens may be washed, bleached, dried, and
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
pressed by non-home type equipment, typically at higher
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
temperatures, higher pH, and longer times than used for home
2. Referenced Documents laundering.
3.1.5 consumer care, n—of consumer textile products,
2.1 ASTM Standards:
2
cleaning and maintenance procedures as customarily under-
D 123 Terminology Relating to Textiles
taken by the ultimate consumer.
D 3136 Terminology for Consumer Textile and Leather
2
3.1.6 consumer textile product, n—a textile product in-
Products Other Than Carpets and Upholstery
tended to satisfy human wants and needs.
2.2 Other Standards:
3.1.6.1 Discussion—Textile consumer products include
Federal Trade Commission Trade Regulation Rule. Care
such products as yarns, piece goods, clothing, zippers and trim,
Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece
table linens, draperies, curtains, towels, bedsheets, and slipcov-
Goods. Effective July 3, 1972, As Amended January 2,
3 ers. The component parts of consumer textile products may
1984
include such other materials as suede, leather and fur.
The National Standard of Canada—Care Labelling of Tex-
4 3.1.7 drycleaning, n—a commercial process by which soil
tiles (CAN/CSGB-86.1-M87)
may be removed from textile products or parts thereof in a
machine which uses petroleum, perchloroethylene, or fluoro-
1
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-13 on Textiles and
carbon solvents.
is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D13.62 on Textile Care Labeling.
Current edition approved Jan. 10, 1996. Published August 1996. Originally 3.1.7.1 Discussion—The process may include moisture ad-
published as D 3938 – 93. Last previous edition D 3938 – 93.
dition to solvent up to 75 % relative humidity, hot tumble
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 07.01.
3
Available from Federal Trade Commission, 6th Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.
4 5
Available from Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Supply and Services Available from American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O.
Canada, Publication Section, Hull (Quebec) K1A OS9. Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
Copyright © A
...