Care Labels on Upholstered Contract Seating and Mattresses Sold in Australia: What the 2023 Care Labelling Information Standard Requires
What the 2023 care labelling information standard says about upholstered furniture, mattresses and bed bases, and what a specification should ask before ordering from China.
The Consumer Goods (Care Labelling) Information Standard 2023 is the Australian rule on care labels. Its list of regulated goods names upholstered furniture, bedding, mattresses and bed bases, so a specification for upholstered seating or mattresses for an Australian project needs to read it, not only the supplier’s datasheet.
This article reads the instrument as made: Federal Register of Legislation ID F2023L01187, dated 28 August 2023 and registered on 4 September 2023, obtained from the Federal Register of Legislation on 13 October 2026. The register showed it in force, with no compiled later version and no unincorporated amendments on that date. It quotes or closely paraphrases the text. It is a reading of the legislation for procurement planning, not legal advice, and it does not decide whether any particular product is caught. The instrument works through two standards, AS/NZS 1957:1998 and ISO 3758:2012, which are paid-for documents we did not read. For related Australian rules, see our notes on importing wooden contract furniture into Australia and our Australia and New Zealand compliance page. FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.
What the instrument is
The instrument was made by the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones, on 28 August 2023, under subsection 134(1) of the Australian Consumer Law (section 3). Section 2 says the whole instrument commenced on the day after it was registered, which the table gives as 5 September 2023. Schedule 1 repeals the earlier Consumer Product Information Standard Care Labelling for Clothing and Textile Products (Consumer Protection Notice No. 25 of 2010).
It is an information standard made under the Australian Consumer Law. Its text deals with the care information regulated goods must carry and the standard against which that information is judged, not with how an item is made.
Which goods are regulated
Section 6(1) says regulated goods are “any clothing, household textiles, apparel (including articles such as wedding dresses, christening gowns, and promotional, sample and flawed articles), furnishings, upholstered furniture, bedding (including sleeping bags), mattresses, bed bases, piece goods and yarns made from textiles, plastics, plastic coated fabrics, suede, skins, hides, grain leathers and/or furs”. Section 6(2) says goods are not regulated goods if they are covered by one of the subsections in section 7.
The wording does not say whether the goods are for household or commercial use, and it does not set a size or quantity threshold. We have not read the provisions of the Australian Consumer Law that decide who is bound by an information standard, so we do not say how the instrument applies to a particular contract supply. That is a question for the importer’s adviser.
What is exempt
Section 7 lists exempt goods. The entries that matter most to a furniture schedule are the following, quoted from the instrument.
- Section 7(1): “All second hand goods.”
- Section 7(6), furnishings: the list includes “window blinds, shade blinds, sun blinds, awnings, floor coverings, light fittings, lampshades, tapestries, wall hangings, ornaments, handicraft items, draught excluders, non-upholstered furniture”, and cushions and cushion covers manufactured from remnants and labelled with the disclaimer “cushion cover manufactured from remnant/s, care treatment unknown”.
- Section 7(10), miscellaneous goods: the list includes “polypropylene webbing furniture”.
- Section 7(9), canvas goods: “All beach and garden umbrella coverings.”
The exemption for “non-upholstered furniture” is the one a seating schedule should test item by item: a bench with a loose cushion and a solid chair are different lines of the same schedule, and the instrument does not say how a part-upholstered item is treated.
Send your upholstery schedule
Send the schedule, drawings and quantities, and we will tell you which label and material details are missing before factories quote.
Two ways to comply, and the transitional periods
The instrument gives two routes. Section 5 defines the Australian/New Zealand Standard as AS/NZS 1957:1998 Textiles—Care labelling, and the International Standard as ISO 3758:2012 Textiles—Care labelling code using symbols, each “as in force or existing at the time when this instrument commences”.
- Section 8, first transitional period: six months from commencement; regulated goods had to comply with section 11 (the Australian/New Zealand Standard) or with the 2010 notice.
- Section 9, second transitional period: twelve months from the day after the first period ended; regulated goods had to comply with section 11, the 2010 notice or section 12 (the International Standard).
- Section 10, after the second transitional period: regulated goods must comply with section 11 (the Australian/New Zealand Standard) or section 12 (the International Standard).
By our count of the periods in section 5, the two together run eighteen months from 5 September 2023, so they ended in March 2025. Section 10 is therefore the operative section for goods supplied now: the choice is between AS/NZS 1957:1998 as varied by section 11, or clause 4 of ISO 3758:2012 under section 12. The 2010 notice is no longer an option.
What section 11 changes in the Australian standard
Section 11 does not restate AS/NZS 1957. It lists variations to the standard’s clauses, and we did not read the standard itself, so we can only report the variations. Those that bear on upholstered goods are these.
- Section 11(3), clause 2.1.1(a): appropriate and adequate care instructions “take into account all elements of an article including dyes, finishes, fibres, construction, design, zips, buttons, fasteners, padding, lace, beading, trims, decals, linings, interfacings and embroidery which form an integral part of an article”, and include cleaning instructions and, where necessary, maintenance instructions.
- Section 11(6), clause 2.1.3: where an article cannot be washed or drycleaned, the permanent label must include instructions in words that warn of this and adequately describe the care treatment.
- Section 11(9), clause 2.2(c): “The wording of the label shall be in English and be clearly legible.”
- Section 11(13), added clause 2.4: words with a similar meaning to the care instructions listed in the standard’s tables may be used.
- Section 11(13), added clause 2.5: some made-up goods are exempt from the permanent label, with care instructions on a removable ticket, a pamphlet or the wrapper or packaging instead. The furnishings entry is “Cushions that are an integral part of a furniture suite, shower curtains”.
- Section 11(18), clause 3.6: the symbol for “do not dry clean”, the circle with a cross through it, is optional.
Section 12 is short: regulated goods comply if they comply with clause 4 of ISO 3758:2012, and the note says Annex C of that standard gives examples of additional wording that can accompany symbols.
The instrument at a glance
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| 5 | Defines the Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 1957:1998), the International Standard (ISO 3758:2012) and the two transitional periods. |
| 6 | Lists regulated goods, including furnishings, upholstered furniture, bedding, mattresses and bed bases. |
| 7 | Lists exempt goods, including second hand goods, non-upholstered furniture and polypropylene webbing furniture. |
| 8–9 | Transitional requirements, repealed at the end of each period. |
| 10 | Current requirement: comply with section 11 or section 12. |
| 11 | Varies AS/NZS 1957 clauses, including English wording, words-only instructions for articles that cannot be washed or drycleaned and alternative carriers for some goods. |
| 12 | Compliance by meeting clause 4 of ISO 3758:2012. |
What an upholstery specification should ask
None of the following is a requirement placed on a factory by this instrument. They are questions an Australian importer can write into the specification so the label is settled before an order is placed. Put each answer in writing and keep it with the purchase order.
- Item classification: for each item code, whether the schedule treats it as upholstered furniture, a mattress or bed base, or non-upholstered furniture, and who made that call.
- Route: whether the label is to follow AS/NZS 1957:1998 as varied by section 11 or clause 4 of ISO 3758:2012, so every factory labels the same way.
- Language and legibility: English wording, clearly legible, on every label.
- Materials: the cover material, lining, padding and trims of the exact model, so care instructions can take each integral element into account.
- Cannot be washed: for covers that cannot be washed or drycleaned, the wording the factory proposes, in words, reviewed before production.
- Label carrier and position: permanent label, or the removable ticket, pamphlet or packaging option for cushions that are an integral part of a suite, and where the label sits on each item.
- Approval: a label proof approved against the item code before bulk production, and a check of the label on delivered goods.
For the supply side of upholstery see FBM Sourcing’s guide to contract-grade upholstery fabric and its guide to hotel mattress and bedding manufacturers.
Questions to settle with your adviser
These are questions for your customs and consumer-law advisers, not statements of what the instrument means. Write the answers into the specification file.
- Does the Australian Consumer Law provision under which the standard was made bind a supplier of goods for a commercial project, and if so at what point in the supply chain?
- Is a part-upholstered item, such as a timber chair with a loose seat pad, regulated goods or within the non-upholstered exemption?
- Which of the two routes does the project want, and does the buyer’s own template already assume one?
- For mattresses and bed bases, where does the label sit and how does it survive the cover or protector supplied with the item?
- Who holds the label proof and the material description for each item code after delivery?
What this reading does not cover
This article does not read AS/NZS 1957:1998 or ISO 3758:2012, so it does not say what their symbols, tables or label content requirements are. It does not read the Australian Consumer Law provisions on information standards, enforcement or penalties, any guidance published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, or any New Zealand rules. It does not say that any named product is or is not regulated. Check the Federal Register of Legislation for the current version before you rely on this reading, because the version we read is the instrument as made on 28 August 2023, and keep a dated copy with the project file so that the position at the date of the order can be shown later.
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2023 care labelling information standard cover?
It lists regulated goods that include furnishings, upholstered furniture, bedding, mattresses and bed bases, and requires them to comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard as varied by the instrument or with clause 4 of the International Standard.
Which two standards can a label follow?
AS/NZS 1957:1998 Textiles—Care labelling, as varied by section 11 of the instrument, or ISO 3758:2012 Textiles—Care labelling code using symbols, clause 4, under section 12.
Is non-upholstered furniture covered?
Section 7(6) lists non-upholstered furniture among the exempt furnishings. The instrument does not say in its own words how a part-upholstered item is treated, so ask your adviser.
Does the label have to be in English?
Section 11(9) substitutes clause 2.2(c) to say the wording of the label shall be in English and be clearly legible.
How does FBM Furniture charge for upholstered furniture?
For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.
Send your upholstery schedule
Send the schedule, drawings and quantities, and we will tell you which label and material details are missing before factories quote.