How to Remove Clothing Labels

Assess your label., Check for multiple tags or labels., Inspect the label and seam closely., Push the tip of the seam ripper under one stitch., Rip out several more stitches in a row., Wrap your finger around the tag to expose the stitches...

9 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Assess your label.

    Labels are made of diverse materials and sewn into clothing in a variety of ways.

    You must remove them with care, or you risk accidentally tearing your clothing with the seam ripper.

    Look for the best approach and point of entry to begin removal.

    Make a mental note about the type of material the label is made of – is it made of soft fabric or something a little more rigid and paper-like?
  2. Step 2: Check for multiple tags or labels.

    They could be sewn into your garment side by side, or one on top of the other.

    If they are stacked, are they sewn in separately, or are the same stitches holding them both on? Either way, you should start with the top tag when you begin the removal process, but now you know whether or not you’ll need to be doing additional stich removal on the second tag. , Is the label sewn into the same seam that holds the garment together? Look closely at the threads – if you pull out the tag stitching, will it cause the seam to loosen and unravel? If so, avoid using a seam ripper, since doing so will damage your clothing.

    Instead, cut the label off close to the seam, leaving behind the stitching of the label.

    Don’t cut into the seam. , Make sure the seam ripper is resting on top of the label rather than underneath it when you begin.Gently pull up and your seam ripper will cut through the thread easily.

    Pulling the top stitches out first lessens the chance of an accidental tear in your clothing.

    You can start anywhere, but it’s generally best to begin pulling stitches at the top right corner of the label. , Move right to left as you work and pull the stitches out consecutively.

    Continue this process until all of the stitching is removed.

    Be sure to be very gentle as you cut through the stitches so that you won’t damage your clothing with the sharp tip of your seam ripper.

    For a slightly faster removal, stop at about the halfway mark and pull the label up so you can see underneath. , Rip through those stitches and continue alternating until all of the stitching is removed.

    Make sure to cut through each stitch.

    Don’t cut through a few of them until the label is loosened and then attempt to pull the rest of the stitches out. , There will probably be a few stray threads embedded in your garment after you remove the label.

    Carefully tweeze them out, making sure the threads are totally loose before attempting to yank them out. , One downside to removing a label is that most of them include care instructions for that particular item.

    Hang on to it if you think you’ll need it in the future.

    Otherwise, you can either make a mental note or write the information down and keep it in a safe place.
  3. Step 3: Inspect the label and seam closely.

  4. Step 4: Push the tip of the seam ripper under one stitch.

  5. Step 5: Rip out several more stitches in a row.

  6. Step 6: Wrap your finger around the tag to expose the stitches underneath.Your label will be loosened at this point

  7. Step 7: and you can get your seam ripper through the threads underneath it quickly and easily.

  8. Step 8: Use tweezers to pull out any loose or remaining thread.

  9. Step 9: Keep the label for referencing garment care information.

Detailed Guide

Labels are made of diverse materials and sewn into clothing in a variety of ways.

You must remove them with care, or you risk accidentally tearing your clothing with the seam ripper.

Look for the best approach and point of entry to begin removal.

Make a mental note about the type of material the label is made of – is it made of soft fabric or something a little more rigid and paper-like?

They could be sewn into your garment side by side, or one on top of the other.

If they are stacked, are they sewn in separately, or are the same stitches holding them both on? Either way, you should start with the top tag when you begin the removal process, but now you know whether or not you’ll need to be doing additional stich removal on the second tag. , Is the label sewn into the same seam that holds the garment together? Look closely at the threads – if you pull out the tag stitching, will it cause the seam to loosen and unravel? If so, avoid using a seam ripper, since doing so will damage your clothing.

Instead, cut the label off close to the seam, leaving behind the stitching of the label.

Don’t cut into the seam. , Make sure the seam ripper is resting on top of the label rather than underneath it when you begin.Gently pull up and your seam ripper will cut through the thread easily.

Pulling the top stitches out first lessens the chance of an accidental tear in your clothing.

You can start anywhere, but it’s generally best to begin pulling stitches at the top right corner of the label. , Move right to left as you work and pull the stitches out consecutively.

Continue this process until all of the stitching is removed.

Be sure to be very gentle as you cut through the stitches so that you won’t damage your clothing with the sharp tip of your seam ripper.

For a slightly faster removal, stop at about the halfway mark and pull the label up so you can see underneath. , Rip through those stitches and continue alternating until all of the stitching is removed.

Make sure to cut through each stitch.

Don’t cut through a few of them until the label is loosened and then attempt to pull the rest of the stitches out. , There will probably be a few stray threads embedded in your garment after you remove the label.

Carefully tweeze them out, making sure the threads are totally loose before attempting to yank them out. , One downside to removing a label is that most of them include care instructions for that particular item.

Hang on to it if you think you’ll need it in the future.

Otherwise, you can either make a mental note or write the information down and keep it in a safe place.

About the Author

H

Henry Mitchell

Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.

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