Rug labels, explained

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Three required items

The FTC says its rules "require that most of these products have a label listing the fiber content, country of origin and identity of the manufacturer or another business responsible for marketing or handling the item." It lists "Floor coverings: rugs, carpets and mats" as covered products.

Face, not backing

The FTC lists "Backings of carpets or rugs and pads or cushions for use under carpets, rugs or other floor coverings" as not covered. Its rules say fiber content on a floor covering with an exempt backing relates only to the face, pile, or outer surface.

Care instructions come from the maker

The FTC says: "The Care Labeling Rule requires manufacturers and importers to attach care instructions to clothing and some piece goods." The rule, at 16 CFR Part 423, covers textile wearing apparel and certain piece goods sold for making apparel at home. It does not mention rugs, so rugs fall outside its definitions. Any care instructions on a rug come from its maker.

The T mark

The federal rug standards say that a carpet or rug that has had a fire-retardant treatment, or is made of fibers that have, shall be labeled with the letter "T".

The FLAMMABLE label

16 CFR Part 1631 says a small carpet or rug that does not meet its acceptance criterion shall, before it enters commerce, be permanently labeled: "FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70): SHOULD NOT BE USED NEAR SOURCES OF IGNITION."

Used rugs

The FTC lists "Secondhand household textile items that are obviously used or marked as secondhand" as not covered unless a statement is made about fiber. A used rug may have no fiber label.

Sources: FTC, Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts; eCFR, 16 CFR Part 303, Rules and Regulations Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act; FTC, Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule; eCFR, 16 CFR Part 423, Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods; eCFR, 16 CFR Part 1630, Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (FF 1-70); eCFR, 16 CFR Part 1631, Standard for the Surface Flammability of Small Carpets and Rugs (FF 2-70).

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