Submission Number: 00020 

Received: 8/5/2011 7:39:07 PM
Commenter: Michael O'Connor
Organization: Continental Cleaners
State: Oregon
Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: 16 CFR Part 423: Trade Regulation Rule on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods, FTC Project No. R511915
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
I have been in the Dry Cleaning industry for roughly 20 years and wanted to give my two cents worth on the care label issue. First and foremost the care label is a MUST on all garments. Not requiring one would be a complete disaster. These items must be tested ahead of time to give the consumer some idea of how to clean them. Ideally a set of international care label symbols could be used on all garments. As it is now you have different symbols for different countries which can be a pain in the tookus to decipher. Add this to the fact that most care labels have many different languages just adds to the confusion. At the very least the care label must be written in the language in which the article is sold. Another large issue is the fact that Dry Clean only does not always apply to all dry cleaning solvents. Something cleaned in perc may not clean the same as articles cleaned in silicone or hydrocarbon. It must be specific, if one of the "normal" solvents is not recommended then that should be stated. Care labels should make sense and be article specific. Some companies slap the same label on a blouse with beading that will dissolve in cleaning as they would on a pair of pants that will clean nicely in the same process. As far as making sense there are far to many labels that say something along the line of "remove trim before cleaning" to clothing in which you are unable to remove the trim without having the garment completely taken apart. Those are just a few thoughts from someone in the industry, if you could come up with International Symbols that everyone uses it sure would save "everyone" problems down the road. thank you