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. This standard was later withdrawn in October 2017; however, the symbol system it describes continues to appear in consumer education materials and garment labelling references in Canada. The revised standard (CAN/CGSB-86.1-2003) reflects the labelling practices being discussed by the North American trade framework (originally referenced under NAFTA and now governed by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)) 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).

Other symbols define techniques for professional cleaning, hand washing, and natural drying — dry flat, line dry, drip dry, dry in the shade.

From Physical Care Labels to Digital Rules

Care symbols teach consumers to recognise limits, warnings, and recommended actions at a glance. This habit of interpreting standardized signals extends beyond physical products and remains relevant when people interact with structured digital services, especially as consumer decision-making increasingly relies on interface-based rules and disclosures in digital environments (2025).

Online Gambling as a Rule-Based Digital Service

Online gambling platforms, including online casinos, operate within defined frameworks of rules, limits, and user-facing conditions designed to guide behaviour and reduce risk. Instead of temperature dots or care bars, users encounter spending limits, age restrictions, session controls, and clearly stated terms that serve a similar purpose. A practical illustration of how these rules are applied can be found in the context of best online casinos for real money, where payout patterns and feature differences are examined to show how structured conditions influence user experience in Canada.

As with garment care instructions, these signals are not decorative. They communicate boundaries that affect outcomes if ignored or misunderstood. Viewing online gambling through this lens helps explain why regulated online services in current markets rely heavily on visible rules and disclosures, reflecting the same consumer-protection logic found in established standards for everyday products. These examples highlight how standardized rules function across different contexts, before returning to the specific symbols used in textile care.

Index of basic symbols

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.

Bleaching Symbols
Symbol Description
Use any bleach when needed.
Use only non-chlorine bleach when needed.
Do not bleach.

Drying Symbols
Symbol Description
Tumble dry at high heat (not exceeding 75°C) at normal setting.
Tumble dry at medium heat (not exceeding 65°C) at normal setting.
Tumble dry at medium heat (not exceeding 65°C) at permanent press setting.
Tumble dry at low heat (not exceeding 55°C) at permanent press setting.
Tumble dry at a low heat (not exceeding 55°C) at delicate cycle.
Tumble dry any heat.
Tumble dry no heat/air dry.
Do not tumble dry.
After extraction of excess water, line dry/hang to dry.
Hang up the soaking wet article to “drip” dry.
After extraction of excess water, dry the article on a suitable flat surface.
Dry in the shade (symbol added to line dry, drip dry, or dry flat).
Do not dry. To be used with “Do not wash” symbol.

Ironing/Pressing Symbols
Symbol
 Description
Iron with or without steam by hand, or press on commercial equipment, at a high temperature (not exceeding 200°C). Recommended temperature for cotton and linen textiles.
Iron with or without steam by hand, or press on commercial equipment, at a medium temperature (not exceeding 150°C). Recommended temperature for polyester, rayon, silk, triacetate and wool textiles.
Iron with or without steam by hand, or press on commercial equipment, at a low temperature (not exceeding 110°C). Recommended temperature for acetate, acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, polypropylene and spandex textiles.
Do not steam.
Do not iron or press.

Professional Textile Care Symbols
Symbol Descripton
Dry-clean, normal cycle. Any solvent except trichloroethylene.
Dry-clean, normal cycle. Petroleum solvent only.
Do not dry-clean.

Use of Dots For Defining Temperature of Water for Washing Symbol
Symbol Definition Description
95°C Near boil
70°C Extremely hot
60°C Very hot
50°C Hot
40°C Warm
30°C Cool

Supplementary Care Symbol
Symbol Description
Do not wring
Wet-clean
Do not wet-clean.

Canadian General Standards Board (CGSD)

The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) is a federal organization under Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), established in 1934 to develop consensus-based standards and provide certification services for government, industry, and consumers. Over several decades, CGSB created CGSB standards and contributed to National Standards of Canada (NSCs) across sectors such as food safety, textiles, security services, quality management systems, and equipment for first responders, supporting federal procurement needs and Canada’s participation in international standardization while promoting quality, safety, and interoperability.

What Is Changing

As part of a federal government spending review conducted by PSPC, CGSB is scheduled to cease all operations on April 1, 2026. This closure marks a structural shift rather than an abandonment of standards activity. Existing standards and related services are expected to transition to other organizations within Canada’s National Standards System, ensuring continuity where required.

For the most current updates, transition details, and official notices, readers should consult the official Canada.ca page for CGSB, which reflects the latest government communications on the organization’s status and next steps.

Based on source material: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/office-consumer-affairs/en/product-safety-recalls-and-labelling/guide-apparel-and-textile-care-symbols