Wash instruction symbols meaning
How to Read Laundry Symbols
Laundry symbols seem like another language, but the washing instruction symbols on your garments’ care labels tell you exactly how to do the washing and drying, as well as give extra information on bleaching and ironing. Read on for our quick guide to what the symbols mean, or download and print your own laundry symbols chart to refer to when you see a symbol you don’t recognize.
Washing Symbols
Getting the temperature and wash cycle right is important for seeing great laundry results, and can even prevent damage to your clothes. The clothes washing symbols below can give you an idea for temperature, indicated by the number of dots in the tub of water symbol, whereas different cycle types are represented by a tub with one or two lines drawn under it.
Washing cycle symbols
Washing temperature symbols
Washing machine symbols
Important: Don't forget to look out for dry clean signs, given by a circle, or hand wash symbols, indicated by a tub of water with a hand sign, so you'll know when to avoid putting garments in the washing machine.
Drying Symbols
Drying is an important part of the clothing care process, but we’ve all heard those scary stories of cashmere sweaters that come out of the wash three sizes too small.
Knowing your dryer symbols, like the square with a circle in the middle that indicates tumble drying allowed, can help you avoid putting the wrong garment in the tumble dryer. Other symbols can give you additional information, such as a square with a horizontal line in the middle means you should dry the item flat, or the crossed-out twisted symbol, which tells you not to wring the garment. The temperature is given by the increasing number of dots inside a circle.
General drying symbols
Drying temperature symbols
Tumble dry laundry symbols
Bleaching symbols
If you want to use bleach, you’ll want to take a look at your garment’s fabric care label to see if there is a bleach symbol, given by a triangle ormore importantly a do not bleach symbol, a triangle crossed out.
Recognizing these signs can save your garment from getting permanently damaged by chlorine bleach.
Bleaching symbols
Ironing Symbols
Some fabrics look great after ironing but others, like more delicate materials, can be damaged. There are even some fabrics that simply need special care when ironing.
For example, if you want to iron your new dress shirt and you want to know if it can be ironed safely, lookout for the iron symbol on your garment, represented by a little iron symbol with dots in the middle that denote the temperature setting, like those shown below.
Ironing symbols
Download Your Laundry Symbols Guide
Don’t let laundry symbols confuse you. Get this printable laundry symbols guide and keep it to hand the next time you do the laundry. Once you download this laundry symbols pdf you’ll be a pro when it comes to doing your laundry. Download now
Laundry symbols are there to guide you, so your clothes get the care they deserve.
Make sure you use the right laundry detergent for the wash cycle you pick, like Tide Plus Coldwater Clean for cold washes, or use a detergent like Tide PODS® that’s suitable for any temperature. Get the best out of your laundry, with a little help from Tide, and if you need more detailed information, visit our comprehensive guide on how to do laundry.
Your Guide to Laundry Symbols (Plus a Handy Washing Symbols Chart!)
You know those hieroglyphic-like laundry symbols on clothing labels? They relay important cleaning information. Here's what they mean and how to use them.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes it’s more confusing than text. That goes double when it’s one of the many laundry symbols found on the care label of your clothes. What are all those circles, squares, and triangles—and why should you care about them?
Clothing manufacturers use washing symbols to help you extend the life of your clothes. Sure, you may think you know how to wash clothes, how to use a washing machine, how to separate laundry, and how to put liquid fabric softener in the fabric softener dispenser.
You might even use the best laundry detergent and take the time to set the washing machine temperature just right. But that doesn’t guarantee your clothing will stay in the same condition, color, or size.
“You risk destroying your clothes by not following the laundry care instructions,” says Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean. “What might happen if you put a dry-clean-only garment in a washing machine? The garment could shrink—not just a little, but significantly. Garments made of wool can shrink two to three sizes or more, and drapes can shrink to half their size.” Instead of making it a guessing game—no, that’s not an envelope, suggesting you send the item to your mom to clean; it’s the sign for “hang to dry”—we asked the experts to decipher the most common washing instruction symbols. Here’s your comprehensive laundry symbols guide, complete with laundry symbols charts.
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What are international laundry care symbols?
Because people do laundry all around the world, the industry has created a standard of five basic symbols that form a kind of universal language.
To make it even easier, laundry symbols are always featured in the same order on a label. From left to right, they are:
- Washtub (washing)
- Triangle (bleaching)
- Iron (ironing)
- Circle (dry cleaning)
- Square (drying)
“As you go through the five basic international symbols, you’ll start to see a pattern,” said Annette Grant and Sarah Karakaian, full-time short-term rental managers and hosts of the “Thanks for Visiting” podcast. “It’s like its own language where, for example, two lines under an icon or three dots inside an icon always mean the same thing. Once you learn these, you’ll be fluent in care tags in no time.”
According to fashion stylist Leena Alsulaiman, one of the most important symbols to pay attention to is a large X. “When a symbol is crossed out,” she warns, “that’s your sign not to do that thing.”
Laundry symbols for how to machine wash clothes
The washtub symbol indicates instructions for every step of the washing process, whether you’re using a traditional or HE washer.
If the garment is machine washable, you’ll see either dots or numbers inside it, representing the recommended maximum water temperature.
- Washtub with numbers: Because the temperature is shown in degrees Celsius, the number 30 indicates a cold-water wash, 40 indicates a warm-water wash, and 50 indicates a hot-water wash.
- Washtub with dots: Dots inside the washtub indicate the same thing as a number: the water temperature. The more dots there are (there can be up to six of them), the hotter the temperature. So if you see a single dot, wash your garment in cold water. If you see three dots, though, wash the item in hot water.
Lines under the washtub signify that the garment needs to be washed on a special cycle.
- No lines: Normal wash cycle
- One line: Permanent press cycle
- Two lines: Gentle cycle
“Just remember, the more lines under the washtub, the more careful you should be,” says Alsulaiman.
And finally, if your washtub has an X through it, back away from the washing machine. This means “do not wash.”
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Laundry symbols for how to hand-wash clothes
If you see a hand reaching into the washtub, that means your garment should be hand-washed only. Do not put it in the washing machine. There’s another washing symbol that indicates how to hand-wash clothes: If you see an icon that looks like a wrapped, hard candy with an X through it, don’t wring or twist the garment. Gently squeeze the water out after hand-washing it.
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Laundry symbols for how to bleach clothes
The triangle tells you everything you need to know about bleaching an item. Here’s how to decipher the symbols:
- Empty triangle: You can use any type of bleach
- Triangle with two lines through it: You can use non-chlorine (or oxygen) bleach only
- Triangle with an X: No bleach should be used at all
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com, Getty ImagesLaundry symbols for how to dry clothes
Everything you need to know about how to dry an item can be found in the square on the care label. Be sure to check this before tossing your clothing in the wash to avoid shrinkage—unless, of course, you’re trying to shrink clothes. First, look for a circle in the square, which tells you it’s okay to dry the item in the dryer. If your square has both a circle in its center and an X through it, do not put the item in the dryer.
Just like with the washtub, the number of dots signifies the maximum temperature to be used:
- One dot: Cold
- Two dots: Warm
- Three dots: Hot
You may also notice lines beneath the square. As with the washtub icon, these indicate the proper dryer settings to use.
- One line: Permanent press cycle
- Two lines: Gentle cycle
All of that explains how to machine dry an item (and if you should).
But if your square doesn’t have a circle at all, it should air-dry. Here’s how to interpret the various air-dry laundry symbols:
- One horizontal line: Lay it flat to dry.
- Three vertical lines: Hang it to drip dry.
- A square that looks like an envelope: Line dry it.
- Two diagonal lines: Dry it in the shade only.
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Laundry symbols for how to iron clothes
With the abundance of wrinkle-free garments options, you might not spend much time wondering how to get wrinkles out of clothes. But there comes a time when your clothes really need to be ironed. The iron is the most self-explanatory of all the clothes-washing symbols. Once again, the number of dots signifies the maximum temperature that can be used.
- One dot: Cool
- Two dots: Warm
- Three dots: Hot
And, of course, an X means don’t iron it at all.
When it comes to wrinkles, the steamer vs. iron debate comes down to fabric—and therefore the laundry symbols you see on your clothing tag. The following symbols relate to whether or not you should use steam on a garment. (P.S.—here’s how to clean an iron so your clothes don’t get damaged.)
- Three little bursts of steam under the iron symbol: It’s safe to steam the garment.
- An X over an iron with three bursts of steam: Avoid steaming.
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Laundry symbols for dry cleaning clothes
You can try your hand at dry cleaning at home, but chances are you’ll want to leave it to the pros, so pay attention to the clothing label. The symbol for dry cleaning is a circle, and if it doesn’t have an X through it, it means you can take it to the dry cleaner. If the label specifies “dry clean only,” you should definitely take it to the dry cleaner. An item with this label is one of the things that should never end up in your washing machine.
Sometimes there are letters inside the circle, but don’t worry about those. They indicate the kinds of chemicals that can be used on a garment and are meant for professionals. Your dry cleaner will understand.
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Sources:
- Leena Alsulaiman, fashion stylist, style consultant and coach
- Annette Grant and Sarah Karakaian, professional short-term rental managers and hosts of the “Thanks for Visiting” podcast
- Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean
Explanation of designations for washing linen, things, signs, symbols for product care
In order for your linen and clothes to retain color and quality for as long as possible, you must follow the recommendations for washing and care.
High-quality underwear or clothing always has a label from the manufacturer of the product, which indicates its composition and recommendations for care. Some recommendations and interpretation of symbols are presented below.
| fabrics | care | |
|---|---|---|
Natural fabrics | ||
| cotton | Can be washed at any temperature in the washing machine and by hand with all-purpose detergents. Possible shrinkage of products after washing by 3 - 5%. | |
| silk | Requires delicate handling. We recommend hand washing with special detergents for washing wool and silk at temperatures up to 30°C. Does not tolerate high temperatures. Wash colored items separately. Don't soak. | |
| wool | Recommended hand wash or machine wash, if it has a program for washing wool, at a temperature not exceeding 30°C. Use special detergents for washing wool. Do not squeeze hard after washing. Dry items by laying them gently on a towel. | |
Artificial fabrics | ||
| rayon, viscose, modal | Low temperature wash recommended. Hand wash is preferred. Shrinkage 4-7% when washed. Use mild detergents. | |
Synthetic fabrics | ||
| tactel®, lycra®, dacron®, polyesters, polyamides, elastane | Machine wash recommended at 40°C. Does not tolerate a hot iron (might melt!). | |
Applies to all materials:
- Do not use bleach unless otherwise stated on the product label.
- Use mild detergents (liquid or powder).
- Incorrect dosage of detergent can damage the laundry. Dosage recommendations are indicated on the detergent packaging.
- When washing in the machine, put your underwear in special bags.
- Do not soak printed or colored fabrics.
- Do not tumble dry.
- Before washing, pay attention to the care instructions on the product. The main symbols and their meanings are given in the table at the end of the article.
- Sort laundry according to type of wash. Wash new colored items separately the first time you wash them. Wash bright and dark colors separately.
- If the care symbols indicate a delicate cycle, it is advisable to halve the amount of laundry. This will prevent it from twisting too much.
Wash items made of synthetic fibers and their mixtures separately from cotton and linen. - Dark materials have an excess of dyes. This excess must be removed by hand washing.
The following designations are most often found on labels:
| Symbol | Explanation of |
|---|---|
| Laundry allowed | |
| Washing prohibited | |
| Hand wash only at max 30, do not rub, do not wring | |
| Hand or machine wash at temperature not higher than indicated | |
| | If the trough is underlined by one or two lines, this indicates that special precautions must be observed. Hand or machine wash. Carefully adhere to the indicated temperature, do not subject to strong mechanical processing, rinse, gradually moving to cold water, when spinning in the washing machine, set the centrifuge to a slow rotation mode |
| Very gentle treatment in large quantities of water, minimal mechanical processing, fast rinsing at low speeds | |
| Boil wash | |
| Can be bleached | |
| Do not bleach, do not use chlorine-containing detergents and washing powders with bleaches | |
| Washing with bleaches containing chlorine is allowed; use only cold water, follow the complete dissolution of the powder | |
| When washing, do not use detergents containing bleach (chlorine) | |
| Ironing allowed | |
| No ironing | |
| Allowed to iron at a maximum temperature of 100; acceptable for wool and mixed fibers with polyester and viscose, use damp cloth | |
| Allowed to iron at ; maximum temperature 150; acceptable for wool and mixed fibers with polyester and viscose, use damp cloth | |
| It is allowed to iron at a maximum temperature of 200; acceptable for linen and cotton, can be slightly moistened product | |
| Dry clean only | |
| Do not dry clean | |
| Dry clean with any solvent | |
| Special designation for dry cleaning: cleaning only with hydrocarbon, ethylene chloride and monofluorotrichloromethane | |
| Special designation for dry cleaning: cleaning with only hydrocarbon and trifluorotrichloromethane | |
| | Special designation for dry cleaning: cleaning only with hydrocarbon, chlorine ethylene and monofluorotrichloromethane with limited addition of water, controlled mechanical action and drying temperature |
| Special designation for dry cleaning: cleaning only with hydrocarbon and trifluorotrichloromethane with limited addition of water, controlled mechanical action and drying temperature | |
| May be tumble dried and tumble dried | |
| Not allowed to wring in a washing machine and dry in an electric dryer | |
| Dry at warm temperature | |
| Dry at hot temperature | |
| After spinning, vertical drying is allowed | |
| Dry without spin | |
| To dry on a hanger | |
| Dry flat |
What if there are no wash symbols?
First, let's figure out where to find the icons on clothes for washing. Usually they are all located on a label on the inside of things. If you accidentally cut off the label or the manufacturer did not take care to place the washing symbols on the inside, you can be guided by the color and type of fabric from which a particular item is made.
For example, things made of cotton or linen can be washed and ironed at a fairly high temperature. Clothes made of silk wool or cashmere , washed either by hand or on the most delicate setting in the washing machine with a choice of the most gentle detergents. Colored items should be sorted from whites and washed with similar colors to avoid staining in an unexpectedly different shade.
Below are the main washing symbols and their explanation. Save this handy table for yourself and use it when necessary.
Meaning of washing and dry cleaning symbols
Washing is allowed.
Do not wash.
Gentle wash with precise water temperature without strong mechanical action and slow spin.
Delicate cycle with plenty of water and minimal mechanical impact. You need to rinse the thing on the fastest setting.
| Gentle washing with precise water temperature up to 30 degrees and without strong mechanical impact. Gradual transition of rinsing from warm temperature to cold. If the thing is wrung out in the machine, select the lowest drum rotation mode. |
Delicate wash with plenty of water and minimal mechanical impact. You need to rinse the thing on the fastest setting.
Hand wash only, no wringing or wiping stains at a maximum temperature of 40 degrees. Cannot be washed in a washing machine.
| Washable and boilable up to 95 degrees. |
Washing at a maximum temperature of 50 degrees (colours).
Washing at a maximum temperature of 60 degrees (colours).
Washable in warm water up to 30 degrees.
Spinning and twisting prohibited.
Dry cleaning approved.
Dry cleaning approved by any means.
Dry cleaning not permitted.
Item to be bleached.
| Item must not be bleached. |
We figured out how to read the icons on clothes for washing and drying, and now let's move on to what are the symbols for ironing things, and at what temperature should or should not iron things. We always recommend choosing only the highest quality irons for ironing your clothes, which have many modes for temperature control or automatically adjust the temperature of ironing and steaming, such as steam generators PerfectCare Elite Plus from Philips with intelligent automatic steam without the risk of burning the fabric and without the need to regulate the temperature. So you will avoid frustration about the incorrectly chosen temperature regime and inadvertently damaged things.
What do the icons on the clothes mean: ironing
Drying at high temperature is allowed.
Drying allowed at medium temperature.
Drying allowed at low temperature.
Can be dried in a vertical position without spinning.
| Can be dried on a flat horizontal surface. |
Drying permitted.
Do not dry.
Do not tumble dry or tumble dry.
May be tumble dried and tumble dried.
Air drying on a line is allowed.
Air drying only allowed in the shade.
We figured out how to read the icons on clothes for washing and drying, and now let's move on to what are the symbols for ironing things, and at what temperature should or should not iron things. We always recommend choosing only the highest quality irons for the process of ironing your clothes, which have many modes for temperature control or automatically adjust the temperature of ironing and steaming, such as in steam generators PerfectCare Elite Plus by Philips with intelligent automatic steam without the risk of burning the fabric and without the need to regulate the temperature. So you will avoid frustration about the incorrectly chosen temperature regime and inadvertently damaged things.
What the icons on clothes mean: ironing
Ironing is allowed.
Ironing up to 200 degrees (high temperature): linen and cotton.
Ironing up to 140 degrees (medium temperature).
Ironing up to 130 degrees (medium-low temperature): silk, wool, polyester, viscose.
It is allowed to iron only with a slightly heated iron at a temperature of up to 120 degrees (low temperature): nylon, polyamide, polyacryl, acetate, viscose.
Do not steam.
Do not iron.
Proper care of your wardrobe is a guarantee of excellent appearance and presentability of clothes. And frustration about things damaged by improper washing, drying or ironing can be avoided if you know how to read the washing symbols. We hope that you will find our interpretation of the symbols for washing, drying and ironing useful, and simple tips will help you figure out what the icons on clothes mean and choose the best mode for washing, drying and ironing them. If you want to know how to properly care for certain wardrobe items, such as your favorite jeans, we have discussed this topic in detail in our separate article.
