initiatives / Consumer safety
Safe use
Household detergents and maintenance products are safe when used and stored according to the directions on the label. The cleaning products industry has developed handy safe-use icons, to help consumers use household cleaning products safely and help prevent domestic accidents.
Use of safe use icons within Europe
The A.I.S.E. (now Detergents Europe) safe use icons are a voluntary, industry-developed set of standardised pictograms used widely across Europe on the on-pack labelling of household detergents and maintenance products to communicate clear, consistent and consumer-friendly safety and usage advice. They are available to all companies placing products on the EU market free of charge: these icons should be used in line with the technical and legal guidance covering icon selection, design integrity and accompanying text, with a strong recommendation to include the corresponding safety phrases in local languages to ensure understanding across markets.
The icons must not be altered in design, should complement mandatory regulatory labelling, and are intended to reinforce safe consumer behaviour through simple visual cues, including specific sets for product categories such as liquid detergent capsules. Overall, they form a harmonised, pan-European communication tool supporting safe use, accident prevention and effective product use at home.
Although the artwork currently in use refers to the industry association as “A.I.S.E.” the icons with ©A.I.S.E. are all valid to be used. Following the rebranding of A.I.S.E. to Detergents Europe in June 2026, this artwork will be updated in the future, and companies will be asked to make the relevant updates to their packaging at the next opportunity. A substantial transition period will be foreseen, and we will communicate with all companies using the artwork once the update of the icons begins. A prolonged used of the current reference to A.I.S.E. is not an issue.
Five of the safe use icons refer specifically to liquid detergent capsules such as liquid detergent capsules for laundry, dishwashing detergents and laundry additives. These are in wide use in Europe, communicating important safety instructions on using capsules in a very visual, consumer-friendly manner: Use with dry hands; Close the lid and bag properly; Do not pierce or cut. The most recent addition is the icon: Do not tear apart stuck capsules.
The safe use icons
Use of safe use icons outside Europe
In order to help secure the safe use of products across all markets, the icons and accompanying sentences may also be used outside the EU 27 and outside the Detergents Europe product portfolio, provided that they comply with the Detergents Europe Guidance on application (see page 13 of guidelines for use outside the EU) and the local legal requirements.
If used outside the EU 27 and no translation is available from Detergents Europe, the company using the icon together with the associated sentences should secure adequate translation. No change should be made to the design. In all cases, Detergents Europe retains copyright of the safe use icons/sentences but does not take liability for any misuse of this material.
If used outside of the Detergents Europe product portfolio and outside the EU 27 (except Turkey), reference to Cleanright.eu may be omitted. Recommendation to use the icons with the accompanying texts is strongly supported by Detergents Europe. If only ‘silent’ versions of the icons are possible, it is strongly advised that the reference to a web portal giving the relevant Detergents Europe accompanying sentences (and referring to the sources material in Detergents Europe) be made.
Download artwork
The guidelines for use and artwork-ready files (in several formats) for use on product packaging can be downloaded free of charge after completing the following form.
Safe use icons
This artwork is available free of charge to all companies placing products on the market that are within the portfolio of the cleaning and hygiene products industry. The legal and technical guidelines that accompany the artwork must be strictly followed. The artwork is intended for products on the EU 27 markets but may by exception be used outside of this scope - see details in the guidelines. For further questions please contact Detergents Europe [email protected]