Note: The following content was extracted from the online version of the Canadian Consumer Handbook

2. Apparel and Textile Care

The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) standard (CAN/CGSB-86.1-2003), developed in 2003, provides industry symbols to help consumers clean and launder clothing safely. The revised standard (CAN/CGSB-86.1-2003) reflects the labelling practices being discussed by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is also harmonized with the American and international standard on care labelling.

Five basic symbols identify care treatments for washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning. The symbols are in black and white, replacing the "traffic-light" colours of green, amber and red of the standard previous to 2003.

The temperature of a treatment appears either in degrees Celsius or is defined by a series of dots (a hand iron symbol with one dot means the garment can be safely ironed at a temperature of 110°C). And bars help illustrate the severity of the treatment (one bar below a wash tub means the garment should be machine washed using a mild treatment).

Washing Symbols
Symbol	Description
	Wash in commercial machine in water not exceeding 95°C, at normal setting.
	Wash in commercial machine in water not exceeding 95°C, at permanent press setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 70°C, at normal setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 60°C, at normal setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 60°C, at permanent press setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 50°C, at normal setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 50°C, at permanent press setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 50°C, at delicate/gentle setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 40°C, at normal setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 40°C, at permanent press setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 40°C, at delicate/gentle setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 30°C, at normal setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 30°C, at permanent press setting.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine in water not exceeding 30°C, at delicate/gentle setting.
	Wash gently by hand in water not exceeding 40°C.
	Wash gently by hand in water not exceeding 30°C.
	Wash in domestic or commercial machine at any temperature, at normal setting.
	Do not wash.