According to a recent study -and even though the icons used to indicate the proper care of cleaning have been used for 40 years- 9 out of 10 consumers do not know the meaning of the most common symbols. I thought it would be fun to see how you scored. No cheating, here we go:
Please indicate a, b, or c for each of the five pictographs. Let’s hope we can do better than consumers. Good luck!
I have no clue what they mean. I took my best GUESS but not that it matters. The point is we should get KNOW it
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C
Theresa in Tucson
October 12th, 2010
4:20 PM
Kathleen, last month I had printed off a list of those symbols. Unless I was a laundress I would never remember them so using my cheat sheet (it is three pages long!) here are my answers: 1) b. Machine wash permanent press; 2) c. Tumble dry, no heat; 3) c. Tumble dry, medium heat; 4) c. Drip dry; 5) b. Bleach when needed. Without the cheat sheet I scored a big fat zero. If you want to hide the fact I used a cheat sheet and hold this comment for a bit, go right ahead.
I don’t have a clue and I hate when they are used. Give me words any day! In other words, I’d be guessing on every one, so give me 0.
Marguerite
Tula
October 12th, 2010
6:01 PM
I’m not even going to guess. I’ve never actually seen these defined anywhere, so I never had any way to know what they meant.
kay
October 12th, 2010
6:03 PM
1. b
2. c
3. c
4. c
5. b
dosfashionistas
October 12th, 2010
6:31 PM
With all my years in the business, I do not know what any of the symbols mean. If I worked for a company that used symbols I would have to rely on a cheat sheet to be sure I was specifying the correct mark. I much prefer words.
Do you think this might be yet another thing that the U.N. has tried to impose on us? Seriously, I always meant to learn them, never could remember the ones I learned, finally gave up and just felt vaguely European when I put my garments in the wash!
I have no clue either! I’ve never seen any of these symbols, or maybe I skipped over them to read words.
Barb Taylorr
October 13th, 2010
5:13 AM
1.a
2.b
3.c
4.?
5.c
Debbs4
October 13th, 2010
5:53 AM
1.B
2.C
3.C
4.A
5.C
Took my best guess, tried to use logic as I have NO IDEA what these mean.
:(
Linda
October 13th, 2010
6:00 AM
B
B
C
C
C
Ridiculous! I’d need abbreviations- HW, WW, CW.
Rose
October 13th, 2010
6:00 AM
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. C
Quincunx
October 13th, 2010
6:01 AM
This consumer’s first, intuitive pass, as though each symbol was the only info provided: 1, B; 2, C; 3, C; 4, A; 5, B.
Gleaning info from the test format: 1 & 3 share the two dots, so the two answers must have a similarity, and I think “permanent press” and “medium heat” are equivalent since “permanent press” is a setting on my iron in the middle of the dial; 2 I have never seen, but it cannot be A since I think the square represents a dryer, and I certainly own tumble-dryer-ready clothing, so “no heat” is likely; 4 I have never seen, B is eliminated still assuming that the square is a dryer, but is “line dry” really a professional term, I am beginning to doubt, change answer to “drip dry”; 5 is familiar yet I don’t own “dry clean only” garments, so the shape probably refers to bleach.
Final answers. 1, B; 2, C; 3, C; 4, C; 5, B.
Doris W.
October 13th, 2010
6:46 AM
Each question needs a “D”- Don’t Know category, the answer I would have to choose for every one of those symbols. And to think . . . I am somewhat fluent in a foreign language but got a big fat ‘0′ on this test……
David
October 13th, 2010
7:21 AM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. B
Maris Olsen
October 13th, 2010
7:45 AM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. C
Peter
October 13th, 2010
9:29 AM
1. b
2. b
3. c
4. a
5. b
Chris V
October 13th, 2010
11:14 AM
B,C,C,C,B.
I made a point to figure out the symbols many years ago, but really because I’m a puzzle solver. No one ever taught me, or made a point that these were useful. In the space the symbols take you can usually print the words you need – Although they do solve multi-lingual issues.
The only one I had trouble with is the first – I was looking for the word ‘warm’ in the description, and I haven’t seen (or at least I haven’t noted) the bottom line before. But I know it has nothing to do with bleach, so that’s that. I did have to look up ‘line dry’, as I had no idea there was a difference between that and ‘drip dry’. So I still learned something today, which is always good!
Lisa Brazus
October 13th, 2010
12:03 PM
Oh I am so glad you are discussing this topic. I have just purchased several items of clothing that only lists symbols for washing. I can find written instructions on dryingthough. I will double check again if there is written information about washing. The symbols are very confusing to me. Here goes with the survey.
1. C 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. C
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31 Responses to “Pop quiz: Care label icons”
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October 12th, 2010
4:13 PM
I have no clue what they mean. I took my best GUESS but not that it matters. The point is we should get KNOW it
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C
October 12th, 2010
4:20 PM
Kathleen, last month I had printed off a list of those symbols. Unless I was a laundress I would never remember them so using my cheat sheet (it is three pages long!) here are my answers: 1) b. Machine wash permanent press; 2) c. Tumble dry, no heat; 3) c. Tumble dry, medium heat; 4) c. Drip dry; 5) b. Bleach when needed. Without the cheat sheet I scored a big fat zero. If you want to hide the fact I used a cheat sheet and hold this comment for a bit, go right ahead.
October 12th, 2010
4:47 PM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. B
October 12th, 2010
4:51 PM
1-B
2-A
3-C
4-A
5-C
October 12th, 2010
5:28 PM
1-B
2-B
3-C
4-B
5-C
October 12th, 2010
5:50 PM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. B [This is the only one I have any confidence in]
October 12th, 2010
5:58 PM
I don’t have a clue and I hate when they are used. Give me words any day! In other words, I’d be guessing on every one, so give me 0.
Marguerite
October 12th, 2010
6:01 PM
I’m not even going to guess. I’ve never actually seen these defined anywhere, so I never had any way to know what they meant.
October 12th, 2010
6:03 PM
1. b
2. c
3. c
4. c
5. b
October 12th, 2010
6:31 PM
With all my years in the business, I do not know what any of the symbols mean. If I worked for a company that used symbols I would have to rely on a cheat sheet to be sure I was specifying the correct mark. I much prefer words.
October 12th, 2010
7:35 PM
1.b
2.b
3.c
4.c
5.c
October 12th, 2010
8:16 PM
Do you think this might be yet another thing that the U.N. has tried to impose on us? Seriously, I always meant to learn them, never could remember the ones I learned, finally gave up and just felt vaguely European when I put my garments in the wash!
October 12th, 2010
9:14 PM
1 a
2 c
3 c
4 a
5 c
October 13th, 2010
2:50 AM
I want to try this, let’s see:
1.C
2.B
3.C
4.A
5.B
October 13th, 2010
4:07 AM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. B
October 13th, 2010
4:10 AM
I have no clue either! I’ve never seen any of these symbols, or maybe I skipped over them to read words.
October 13th, 2010
5:13 AM
1.a
2.b
3.c
4.?
5.c
October 13th, 2010
5:53 AM
1.B
2.C
3.C
4.A
5.C
Took my best guess, tried to use logic as I have NO IDEA what these mean.
:(
October 13th, 2010
6:00 AM
B
B
C
C
C
Ridiculous! I’d need abbreviations- HW, WW, CW.
October 13th, 2010
6:00 AM
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. C
October 13th, 2010
6:01 AM
This consumer’s first, intuitive pass, as though each symbol was the only info provided: 1, B; 2, C; 3, C; 4, A; 5, B.
Gleaning info from the test format: 1 & 3 share the two dots, so the two answers must have a similarity, and I think “permanent press” and “medium heat” are equivalent since “permanent press” is a setting on my iron in the middle of the dial; 2 I have never seen, but it cannot be A since I think the square represents a dryer, and I certainly own tumble-dryer-ready clothing, so “no heat” is likely; 4 I have never seen, B is eliminated still assuming that the square is a dryer, but is “line dry” really a professional term, I am beginning to doubt, change answer to “drip dry”; 5 is familiar yet I don’t own “dry clean only” garments, so the shape probably refers to bleach.
Final answers. 1, B; 2, C; 3, C; 4, C; 5, B.
October 13th, 2010
6:46 AM
Each question needs a “D”- Don’t Know category, the answer I would have to choose for every one of those symbols. And to think . . . I am somewhat fluent in a foreign language but got a big fat ‘0′ on this test……
October 13th, 2010
7:21 AM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. B
October 13th, 2010
7:45 AM
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. C
October 13th, 2010
9:29 AM
1. b
2. b
3. c
4. a
5. b
October 13th, 2010
11:14 AM
B,C,C,C,B.
I made a point to figure out the symbols many years ago, but really because I’m a puzzle solver. No one ever taught me, or made a point that these were useful. In the space the symbols take you can usually print the words you need – Although they do solve multi-lingual issues.
The only one I had trouble with is the first – I was looking for the word ‘warm’ in the description, and I haven’t seen (or at least I haven’t noted) the bottom line before. But I know it has nothing to do with bleach, so that’s that. I did have to look up ‘line dry’, as I had no idea there was a difference between that and ‘drip dry’. So I still learned something today, which is always good!
October 13th, 2010
12:03 PM
Oh I am so glad you are discussing this topic. I have just purchased several items of clothing that only lists symbols for washing. I can find written instructions on dryingthough. I will double check again if there is written information about washing. The symbols are very confusing to me. Here goes with the survey.
1. C 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. C
October 13th, 2010
12:38 PM
1-B
2-C
3-C
4-A
5-B
October 13th, 2010
12:52 PM
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October 13th, 2010
2:09 PM
I too have never seen these particular symbols. I looked at all of my clothing and not one of the symbols shown here is on any of them.
October 13th, 2010
3:13 PM
1B
2C
3A
4B
5C