Laundry Care Symbols Guide
Decode clothing labels with confidence — every symbol explained
Quick Tip: Care labels use five basic symbol shapes: a washtub (washing), triangle (bleaching), square (drying), iron (ironing), and circle (professional cleaning). Once you know these shapes, decoding any label becomes straightforward.
Washing Symbols
Machine Wash Normal
A washtub with a number indicates machine washing at the specified temperature. 30 means 30°C, 40 means 40°C, and so on. No underline means a normal cycle is safe.
Hand Wash Only
A washtub with a hand symbol means the item should be washed by hand in cool water (30°C or below). Gently squeeze rather than wring the garment.
Do Not Wash
A crossed-out washtub means the item cannot be washed at home. It requires professional dry cleaning only.
Drying Symbols
Tumble Dry
A circle inside a square means tumble drying is permitted. Dots inside the circle indicate heat level: one dot = low heat, two dots = normal heat, three dots = high heat.
Line Dry
A vertical line inside a square means hang the item to dry. A horizontal line means dry the item flat (important for knits that might stretch).
Ironing Symbols
Iron Temperature
Dots inside the iron shape indicate heat: one dot = low (110°C, for synthetics), two dots = medium (150°C, for wool and silk), three dots = high (200°C, for cotton and linen).
Do Not Iron
A crossed-out iron means the item should not be ironed. This is common for some synthetics and items with applied decorations or prints.
Bleaching Symbols
Bleaching Guidance
An empty triangle means any bleach is safe. Two diagonal lines inside mean only non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach is permitted. A crossed-out triangle means do not bleach at all.
Professional Cleaning
Dry Clean Only
A circle means the item should be professionally dry cleaned. Letters inside (P, F, W) indicate which solvents the cleaner should use. A crossed-out circle means do not dry clean.
Print this guide and keep it in your laundry room for quick reference! For more fabric care tips, read our Fabric Care Guide.