What do laundry symbols mean?

Understanding laundry care symbols is essential for maintaining your garments' quality and longevity. Here's a concise guide to help you decode these symbols:

Washing Symbols:

  • Machine Wash: Depicted by a washtub symbol, indicating the item is safe for machine washing.

  • Hand Wash: A washtub with a hand symbol suggests the garment should be hand-washed.

  • Do Not Wash: A washtub symbol with a cross means the item should not be washed.

Water Temperature:

  • Cold Water: One dot inside the washtub.

  • Warm Water: Two dots inside the washtub.

  • Hot Water: Three dots inside the washtub.

Wash Cycle:

  • Normal Cycle: No line beneath the washtub.

  • Permanent Press: One line beneath the washtub.

  • Delicate/Gentle Cycle: Two lines beneath the washtub.

Drying Symbols:

  • Do Not Tumble Dry: A crossed-out square with a circle inside.

  • Tumble Dry: A square with a circle inside indicates tumble drying is allowed.

  • Lay Flat to Dry: A square with a horizontal line in the middle.

  • Hang to Dry: A square with a curved line at the top.

Tumble Dry Heat Settings:

  • Any Heat: An empty circle inside the square.

  • Low Heat: One dot inside the circle.

  • Medium Heat: Two dots inside the circle.

  • High Heat: Three dots inside the circle.

  • No Heat (Air Dry): A filled-in circle.

Ironing Symbols:

  • Low Temperature: One dot inside the iron.

  • Medium Temperature: Two dots inside the iron.

  • High Temperature: Three dots inside the iron.

  • Do Not Iron: A crossed-out iron symbol.

  • No Steam: An icon resembling an iron with a crossed-out steam symbol.

Bleaching Symbols:

  • Bleach Allowed: An empty triangle.

  • Do Not Bleach: A crossed-out triangle.

  • Non-Chlorine Bleach Only: A triangle with two diagonal lines inside.

Dry Cleaning Symbols:

  • Dry Clean: A circle indicates the item can be dry cleaned.

  • Do Not Dry Clean: A crossed-out circle.

By familiarizing yourself with these symbols, you can ensure proper garment care, preserving the quality and extending the life of your clothing.