Labeling clothes in a nursing home: which labels withstand washing?
To label clothes for a care home, choose a method based on how the home does its laundry. If clothes are washed at no more than 60 °C, self-adhesive name labels on the care label work well, but if the laundry is sent to a service that uses 90 to 95 °C, you’ll need iron-on labels or sewn-in name tapes. Ask the care home which temperature applies before you buy anything.
Here we compare the five most common ways to label clothes with what actually happens in a care home’s laundry room: high temperatures, tumble dryers, and clothes belonging to many residents in the same machine. You’ll get a table, a list of questions to ask the care home, and a cost example for an entire wardrobe.
Ask the care home first
The right label depends almost entirely on the care home’s procedures, and these vary between municipalities and care homes. Call or ask during the move-in meeting:
- Who does the laundry? Staff in the care home’s laundry room, a private machine in the apartment, or an external laundry service.
- At what temperature? Ask about both regular clothes and underwear and nightwear, which may have their own rules.
- Are tumble dryers or drying cabinets used? They wear labels down more than washing itself.
- Does the care home label clothes itself? Some care homes or their laundry service have their own labeling method. Ask how much it costs and how long it takes.
- What should the label say? Just a name, or a name and room number or department.
- Are there garments the care home does not take responsibility for? For example, wool or garments that can only be hand-washed.
The answers determine which method will work. The rest of the guide will help you choose once you know them.
What laundry at the care home does to labels
At a care home, clothes are washed more often and at higher temperatures than at home. One example is the municipal hygiene procedures in Kronoberg County: when clothes belonging to several residents are washed together in the same machine, the temperature must be at least 60 °C, and 40 °C may only be used when the machine contains clothes belonging to one person. The laundry must then be dried immediately in a tumble dryer or drying cabinet. Personal clothes are washed according to the garment’s own care instructions. This is stated in Kronoberg municipalities’ laundry handling procedures.
That gives three common scenarios:
- Private machine in the apartment or laundry washed per resident: often 40 or 60 °C. Almost all methods can handle that.
- Shared laundry room at the care home: at least 60 °C and a tumble dryer. The label must withstand 60 °C again and again.
- External laundry service or industrial laundry: temperatures can reach 90 to 95 °C. A label made for 60 °C is not enough.
The tumble dryer is the part many people forget. Heat and friction loosen edges and fade prints, so a label that can withstand the wash itself may still fail in the dryer.
Five ways to label clothes in a nursing home
These methods are the most widely used. Each has its place, but they hold up differently to a care home's laundry.
Iron-on labels
An iron-on label has a heat-activated adhesive that melts into the fabric fibers when you press it with an iron. It attaches to the fabric itself, so it also works on garments without care labels, such as hand-knitted cardigans, socks and underwear. Iron-on labels are the most common choice when clothes are washed at very high temperatures. It takes longer per garment and requires an iron, and the label cannot be moved if the garment changes owners. Read more about iron-on name labels and when they are the right choice.
Woven name tapes to sew in
Woven name tapes are sewn in with a few stitches at the neck or in a seam. This is the most permanent type of labeling: the text is woven, not printed, and held in place with thread rather than adhesive. The downside is the time. Sewing tapes into an entire wardrobe takes several evenings, and anyone with difficulty with fine motor skills will need help. Tapes are available from woven name tape suppliers, and blank tapes for writing on are often available at sewing shops.
Self-adhesive name labels on care labels
A self-adhesive name label is stuck onto the sewn-in care label, not the fabric. It takes a few seconds and requires neither an iron nor a needle. The label needs a day for the adhesive to cure before the first wash. Lappu's name labels withstand 60 °C in the washing machine and tumble dryer, which covers a care home that washes at 60 °C. They are not made for washing above 60 °C, so if the care home sends clothes to an industrial laundry at 90 to 95 °C, an iron-on label is the better choice for those garments.
Self-adhesive labels also stick to plastic, metal, glass and leather, so the same set works for glasses cases, slippers and a name label on a walker. Garments without care labels and socks are their weak points: the labels don't hold well on them. See our guide to care labels for the best place to put the label on a garment.
Fabric marker and name stamp
Writing the name with a fabric marker or stamping it with a name stamp is cheap and quick. The problem is durability in the care home's laundry: ink fades with every hot wash and every trip through the tumble dryer, and the text is hard to see on dark garments. Anyone marking with a pen should expect to go over the names again after several washes. It works as a quick fix for a new garment that needs to be sent in the same day, but rarely as the only type of label in a care home.
Care home's own labeling
Some care homes, or laundries they use, label residents' clothes themselves using a method suited to their machines. The advantage is that the labels are guaranteed to withstand the laundry and staff recognize them. Ask whether this service is available, whether there's a charge, and how long it takes to label the clothes. In the meantime, garments may need a temporary label so nothing goes missing during the first few weeks.
Comparison: which labeling method withstands the laundry?
The table summarizes how the methods stand up to the three laundry settings. Temperature ratings for iron-on labels and tapes vary by manufacturer, so always check the information for the specific product you buy.
| Method | Home washing machine, 40 to 60 °C | Shared laundry room, 60 °C and tumble drying | Industrial laundry, 90 to 95 °C | Garments without a care label | Time per garment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron-on label | Yes | Yes | Yes, if the manufacturer specifies it | Yes | A minute or so with an iron |
| Woven tape, sewn on | Yes | Yes | Yes, if the tape can withstand it | Yes | Longest |
| Self-adhesive name label (Lappu) | Yes | Yes, up to 60 °C and tumble drying | No | No | A few seconds, plus a day to cure |
| Fabric pen or stamp | Fades over time | Fades faster | No | Yes, but fades | Quick |
| Care home's labeling | Yes | Yes | Yes, suited to the laundry | Depends on the method | Made by the care home |
Why manufacturers give different answers
Search online and you'll find conflicting information. Suppliers give different temperature ratings for their adhesive labels, and some iron-on labels are said to withstand hot washes while others are rated for lower temperatures, sometimes with a higher limit only for black-and-white printing. Both sides may be right, since they are describing different products with different adhesives and printing.
The only thing that matters is the temperature rating of the label you buy, compared with the temperature the care home washes at. If the care home's wash temperature exceeds the label's rating, the label will come off or fade, regardless of what other labels can withstand.
Garments that tend to cause problems
- Socks: small, stretchy and without a care label. An iron-on label or sewn-on tape works best. Consider buying identical socks in pairs so losing one doesn't ruin the pair.
- Hand-knitted cardigans and wool garments: often lack a care label and rarely withstand the care home's laundry. Ask whether wool is washed separately, and label garments with a sewn-on tape.
- Underwear with a printed label: many garments have the care instructions printed directly on the fabric instead of on a sewn-in label. An iron-on label is needed in that case.
- Garments with the care label cut off: common when the label itches. Choose an iron-on label or a sewn-on tape.
- Front and back: for someone with poor eyesight or dementia, an extra label reading "back" at the neck can make getting dressed easier.
Learn more about small and stretchy garments in the guide to labeling socks, mittens and small items.
Example: one wardrobe, two methods
The figures below are a made-up example to show what the breakdown might look like, not a list of what anyone needs. Suppose the care home washes at 60 °C and uses a tumble dryer, and the wardrobe looks like this:
- With a sewn-in care label: 10 sweaters and blouses, 6 pairs of trousers, 3 cardigans, 5 nightgowns, 6 undershirts, and 2 jackets. That makes 32 garments that can have a self-adhesive label.
- Without a sewn-in label: 1 hand-knitted cardigan, 14 items of underwear with printed labels, and 10 pairs of socks. That makes 35 labels for iron-on labels or tapes, since each sock needs its own.
In this example, one set of 124 self-adhesive name labels from 139 kr is enough for the 32 garments, and the rest can be used for new garments during the year, slippers, and aids. Buy iron-on labels for the other 35 items from an iron-on label supplier. If the care home instead sends everything for industrial washing at 90 to 95 °C, all 67 items will need iron-on labels or tapes.
What should the label say?
Write the first and last name. In a care home where dozens of people share a laundry room, a first name alone isn’t enough, and two people may have the same name. Add a room number or department only if the care home asks for it, and never write a personal identity number or address. Choose dark text on a light background and a simple font, so staff can read the label while sorting clean laundry.
What needs to be labeled before the move, how many labels a wardrobe usually needs, and how to order are all covered on the page about name labels for care homes.
Frequently asked questions
Which name labels work best on clothes in a care home?
It depends on the laundry process. If the care home washes at no more than 60 °C, self-adhesive name labels stick well to the care label and are the quickest to apply. For industrial washing at 90 to 95 °C, iron-on labels and sewn-in woven tapes hold up best.
What is the label sewn into clothes called?
The sewn-in label with laundry symbols is called a care label, laundry label, or garment care label. That’s where a self-adhesive name label should go, because it’s smooth and doesn’t move around like the fabric does in the wash.
Where can I find fabric name labels for clothes?
Woven name tapes with the name woven in are available from name tape suppliers, and blank tapes to write on are often sold in sewing supply stores. The tapes are sewn on and provide the most permanent labeling, but take the longest to attach.
What should you write on name labels for a care home?
First and last name, since many people share the laundry room and first names may be the same. Add a room number or department only if the care home asks you to. Never write a personal identity number or address.
Can you label clothes with a fabric marker?
It works, but the ink fades with hot washes and tumble drying, and is hard to see on dark garments. In a care home, you’ll need to write the names again after a while, so a fabric marker is best for temporary labeling.