Many brands use one combined label, but it only works if it is built from a single, tested set of care instructions and then checked against each market's requirements. The two systems are not identical. In the US, the FTC Care Labeling Rule in 16 CFR Part 423 governs care labels. The FTC's business guide explains how it accepts written instructions and, under conditions set out in the rule, care symbols. ISO 3758 defines the care symbols widely used in Europe.

How ISO 3758 symbols are meant to be read

ISO 3758:2023 covers symbols for washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional care. ISO describes each symbol as indicating the most severe treatment that does not cause irreversible damage to the article. That makes the symbols a ceiling, not a recommendation. A washtub with 30 means the product can withstand washing up to that temperature, not that it must be washed at 30.

Start from one tested care regime

Before designing the label, decide the care regime you can support: wash temperature and cycle, whether bleach is allowed, drying method, ironing and professional care. Support it with tests on the bulk fabric and garments, for example dimensional change and appearance after a named procedure such as ISO 6330. The US rule requires a reasonable basis for the instructions, and the same evidence supports the symbols you choose.

Check each market separately

Once the regime is fixed, check the US version against Part 423 and the FTC guide, including whether your chosen symbols and any accompanying words are acceptable there. Then check the EU version with your retailer, because retailers often have their own label requirements. Some EU countries also have their own requirements for symbol use or language, so ask the retailer for its labelling manual rather than assuming.

Keep the label set manageable

If the requirements can be met on one label, print one. If a retailer's language or layout demands differ, a second label variant from the same care regime is still easy to manage. The instructions agree, and only the presentation changes.

The key is that both labels describe the same tested care, so neither market sees a different promise.