Our sources, in order
- Owner’s manuals and manufacturer support pages. How to clean or set an appliance is its maker’s call, so we follow the manuals and support pages of brands such as GE Appliances, Whirlpool, Samsung and LG.
- Rules and standards. The FTC’s Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR 423) sets what US care labels must say, and the care-symbol standards set what the symbols mean.
- Government safety and health agencies for their own subjects: the FDA and USDA for food temperatures, the EPA for humidifiers and indoor air, and the U.S. Fire Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission for fire and product safety.
When manufacturers differ
Brands don’t always agree: one oven’s self-clean cycle isn’t another’s. When that happens we show each source rather than pick one, and say so. Your own manual is the final word for your model.
Our drawings
The symbols and diagrams are drawn by us, after the shapes the standards and manuals describe. We don’t copy manufacturers’ artwork or manual pages.
Checking and updating
Each page shows the date it was last updated and lists its sources at the end. If something doesn’t match your manual, let us know.