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What the washing symbols mean


care knowhow for clothes and linens |

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Laundry symbols are the key to the appropriate care of clothes, bed, bath and table linens and more around the home. But to avoid problems like shrinkage and color runs, it’s vital to be aware of what each of them means.

The symbols don’t just apply to washing items in a home appliance. They also apply to bleaching, if you need to carry this out, along with drying, and ironing, so every stage of the laundry process can be carried out with optimum fabric care in mind. 

Great laundry room ideas will give you a stylish as well as functional space, and to be sure of looking after garments and linens correctly use our guide, along with the advice of the experts.

Laundry symbols: a guide

It’s always worth checking the manufacturer’s label for instructions when washing items (as well as regularly cleaning a washing machine) to give them the longest possible lifespan, as individual pieces may need care that differs from what you might assume.  Understanding laundry symbols will also help you wash towels the right way, and keep towels fluffy, plus answer the question can you wash couch cushion covers.

‘Typically, the biggest risk to garments when the care label isn’t followed is to that garment and potentially others in the same load,’ says Jonathon Reckles, VP at CD One Price Cleaners . ‘Common results would include distortion, shrinkage, and color loss. Color loss can cause bleeding on to other garments, such as the classic white load and red sock causing everything to be pink.’ The answer to the question of whether to wash whites in hot or cold water is also influenced by the care label.

Here’s what the laundry symbols indicate.

Washing symbols

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The laundry symbols for washing cover whether an item can be washed in a machine; the temperature; and the cycle. Look out for them on clothes, but they’ll also give you the answer to questions such as can you wash pillows in a washing machine, and whether you can wash an electric blanket, or wash a down comforter.

Washing symbols 

A tub icon with a wavy line means an item can be machine washed.

A tub icon with a hand indicates an item should be hand washed.

A tub icon with cross through it means do not wash.

A circle indicates dry clean only.

A circle with a cross through it means do not dry clean.

Washing temperature symbols

The machine wash temperature symbols are identified by dots:

A single dot inside, this indicates an item should be washed cold at 85ºF (30ºC).

Two dots indicate a warm wash temperature of 105ºF (40ºC).

Three dots show a warm/hot wash of 120ºF (50ºC).

Four dots mean a hot 140ºF (60ºC) wash.

Five dots indicate a sanitizing 160ºF (70ºC) wash.

Washing machine cycles

If the label shows just the tub icon with the wavy line, use a normal cycle for the item in question.

If the tub icon has a horizontal line below, use the permanent press cycle.

Two horizontal lines below the tub with a wavy line icon? Use a delicate or gentle cycle.

Drying symbols

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Even a small laundry room can provide space to dry as well as wash, but if you’re intending to put washing into the dryer rather than on the line, you need to know what the laundry symbols mean, including that for the delicate setting on a dryer.

Drying symbols

A square with a circle within it shows an item can be tumble dried.

If there’s a single line under this symbol, this indicates permanent press. 

Two lines below means delicate or gentle.

A square with a circle within it with a cross over it means do not tumble dry.

A square with a curved line within it at the top which goes from one side to the other indicates an item should be line dried or hung to dry.

A square with three vertical lines inside shows you should drip dry.

A square with a single horizontal line inside indicates dry flat.

Drying temperature symbols

A tumble dry symbol with the circle filled in shows no heat should be used.

If the tumble dry symbol has one dot in the center, this indicates a low heat setting (explained in the tumble dryer temperature guide) should be used.

Two dots mean medium heat.

Three dots and you can use a high temperature.

Bleaching symbols

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If you want to use bleach in laundry, check for the bleach laundry symbols beforehand.

Bleaching symbols

A triangle shows you can use bleach.

A triangle with two angled lines inside indicates non-chlorine bleach should be used.

A cross over the triangle? Do not bleach

Ironing symbols

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It’s vital to get the heat right when it comes to ironing as well as for washing and drying. Look out for these laundry symbols.

Ironing symbols

An iron icon shows an item can be ironed.

If there’s a single dot inside, use low heat.

Two dots mean medium heat.

Three dots and high heat is allowed.

If the iron icon has two sloped vertical lines below that are crossed through, avoid the use of steam.

An iron with a cross over it indicates do not iron.

What does a circle with a cross mean on clothes?

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A circle with a cross on clothes shows that the item should not be dry cleaned. 

Conversely, if an item can be dry cleaned, there’s a circle icon. 

A circle – dry clean – symbol may have a letter of the alphabet within it. ‘Commonly misunderstood icons are typically relating to dry clean only garments,’ says Jonathon Reckles. ‘These tend to have information about which solvents are best for that garment, which can be slightly confusing because they’re letters versus laundry-looking icons.’

What is the no washing machine symbol?

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The no washing machine symbol is actually the no wash symbol, in other words the tub with a wavy line with a cross over it.  You might come across it if you’re planning to wash stuffed animals (but if you’ve got a young family, bear in mind that cleaning bath toys should be done in the dishwasher or by hand), as well as when you’re laundering clothes and linens.

‘If the garment or other piece can be hand washed but just not put in the machine, it will have the tub plus hand icon that shows hand washing is possible,’ explains Lucy Searle, editor in chief of Homes & Gardens.

Not sure what you should do with a particular item? ‘When in doubt a good professional cleaner can help you determine the best way to clean, including dry cleaning alternatives like wet cleaning for more difficult and less common fabrics,’ says Jonathon Reckles.

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator. 

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:

“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.

Lines under the washtub signify that the garment needs to be washed on a special 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:

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Laundry 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:

You may also notice lines beneath the square. As with the washtub icon, these indicate the proper dryer settings to use.

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:

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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.

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.)

rd.com, Getty Images

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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Explanation of icons on clothes labels

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Do you wonder what the icons on clothes mean when you load your washing machine and select a wash cycle? Have you ever regretted a damaged item due to the wrong water temperature, or thought about how to cover a burnt hole in your clothes because the iron was too hot? If the answer to at least one of these questions is yes, then you will surely need our guide on what are the symbols for washing, ironing and drying clothes and at what temperature you should wash, iron and dry your favorite things.

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 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 cycle 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 generation 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 the clothes mean: ironing

High temperature drying 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, in which there are many modes for temperature control or the temperature of ironing and steaming is automatically adjusted, 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.

Tips and inspiration

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Symbols on the label - explanation of the symbols on the clothes label

How to properly care for clothes, bed linen and other fabrics, what do the symbols for washing, drying, cleaning clothes mean? Bonus: how ordinary people perceive these symbols.

In order for a thing to last as long as possible, you need to properly care for it. How exactly, the clothes care symbols placed on a special label (ribbon) on almost any item will best tell you. They can be woven, embroidered or printed. These signs are duplicated on a paper label. Everything is important: washing temperature, type of washing, drying method and other indicators. When buying new clothes, study them and try to follow these micro-instructions.

Clothing care symbols are regulated by the international standard GOST ISO 3758-2014 (this is an adaptation of the international ISO 3758:2012).

Can you tell right off the bat what a circle means and what a triangle means?

A survey conducted among subscribers of Roskachestvo social networks showed that only the icons associated with the temperature regime of washing and ironing do not cause difficulties. None of the respondents could identify some other signs.

“Square”, “bricked pig”, “cyclops” - this is how our respondents defined some symbols of drying.

In the tables below, we provide not only a complete decoding of the meanings of symbols, but also how ordinary people perceive these designations! We have selected the most interesting answers from those presented. If you have your own version, you can write it in the comments to this material.

What do the symbols on clothing labels mean?

There are only five basic, basic characters.

In addition to the basic five, additional symbols are used: one or two lines, dots (numbers) and the cross of St. Andrew.

Symbols on laundry labels

The symbols on laundry labels are the easiest to understand. The number on the "Water basin" symbol indicates the maximum allowable water temperature for washing. As a rule, the number varies from 30°C to 95°C.


Drying and spinning

The square image indicates the drying process. The symbols will tell you whether the clothes can be wrung out and dried directly in the washing machine, or only normal drying is possible.

If there is no circle in the square, this indicates that clothes should be dried in natural conditions, not in a typewriter.


The image of a circle inscribed in a square indicates tumble drying after the washing process, the maximum temperature being indicated by one or more dots placed inside the symbol.


Ironing

The image of an iron indicates domestic ironing and pressing processes with or without the use of steam, the maximum temperature levels are indicated by one, two or three dots inside the symbol.

Important. If there is one dot on the iron symbol, then ironing should be done without steam. Steam ironing can cause permanent damage.


Whitening and professional cleaning

The triangle on the label indicates bleaching requirements, and the circle indicates professional cleaning (dry cleaning) requirements. Professional cleaning includes wet cleaning (with the exception of washing in a washing machine) and dry cleaning with various solvents.

Learn more