Understanding Laundry Symbols

Laundry symbols might seem perplexing at first, but they're actually quite straightforward.

Each clothing label provides information about the fabric and includes up to five symbols that guide you on how to care for it. Here's a handy guide to what each symbol represents.

• Laundry Symbol Guide

  This set of UK washing symbols helps you determine if your clothing is safe to wash in your machine, which setting to use, and the appropriate temperature.

  
  Machine Washable

  
  Wash Cold

  
  Wash Warm

  
  Wash Hot

  
  Synthetics Cycle

  
  Gentle Or Wool Cycle

  
  Hand Wash

  
  Do Not Wash

  
  Do Not Wring

  What do the washing labels on clothes mean? Typically depicted as a bucket filled with water (except for the ‘Do not wring’ symbol), these labels indicate the recommended washing method. If the garment is machine washable, you'll see dots or numbers inside the bucket symbol, indicating the maximum temperature: one dot means 30°C (cold water), two dots 40°C (warm water), and four dots 60°C. A single line beneath the bucket signifies a synthetic cycle, while two lines indicate a gentle or wool wash cycle. If you see the hand wash symbol, wash the item by hand at 40°C or lower, or use your machine's hand wash program.

• Bleaching symbols on washing labels

  Before reaching for bleach to restore your whites, check your garment’s fabric care label to ensure it can handle bleaching agents.

  
  Do Not Bleach

  
  Use Non Chlorine Bleach

  
  Bleach Allowed

  An empty triangle indicates that bleach can be safely used on the garment. Diagonal lines inside the triangle mean non-chlorine bleach is recommended. If the triangle is crossed out with two lines, avoid using bleach altogether.

• Guide to Drying Symbols on clothing labels

  Drying is an essential part of the laundry process, alongside washing and ironing. To avoid shrinking or misshaping your garments, refer to the fabric care label for drying instructions.

  
  Tumble Dry Allowed Any Heat

  
  Tumble Dry On Low Heat

  
  Tumble Dry On High Heat

  
  Do Not Tumble Dry

  
  Drip Dry

  
  Dry Flat

  
  Hang To Dry

  • A square with a circle inside means the item can be tumble dried. The number of dots inside the circle indicates the temperature: one dot for low heat, two dots for medium, and three dots for high heat. No dot means any heat setting is safe.
  • A bar below the dryer symbol suggests using the ‘Permanent Press’ setting, while two bars indicate the ‘Delicate’ setting.
  • If the symbol is crossed out, avoid tumble drying and let the garment dry naturally.
  • A square with three vertical lines means drip dry, a single horizontal line indicates flat drying, and a drooping line means hang to dry.

• Ironing symbols on fabric labels

  Ironing symbols feature an iron with dots inside, indicating the maximum temperature for ironing the garment.

  
  Iron Cool Max 110

  
  Iron Medium Max 150

  
  Iron Hot Max 200

  
  Do Not Iron

  
  Do Not Steam Iron

  
  Steam Iron Allowed

  • If the iron symbol has no dots, you can iron the garment at any temperature.
  • One dot typically appears on delicate items like wool and silk.
  • Two dots are for synthetics.
  • Three dots indicate linen and cotton.
  • A crossed-out iron means the garment should not be ironed.
  • An iron with two lines shooting out from the bottom and crossed out means steaming is not allowed.

• Dry cleaning symbols on fabric labels

  Some garments are best handled by professionals, which is where dry cleaning comes in. The following symbols help you determine if your clothing should be dry cleaned and guide the dry-cleaner on the appropriate solvent to use.

  
  Dry Clean Only

  
  Any Solvent

  
  Any Solvent Except Trichloroethelene

  
  Petroleum Solvent Only

  
  Do Not Dry Clean

  A circle indicates that the item is suitable for dry cleaning, while the letters inside the circle specify the required process for the dry-cleaner.

• Additional dry cleaning symbols

  Your dry-cleaner values any assistance when caring for your most delicate garments.

  
  Short Cycle

  
  Reduced Moisture

  
  Low Heat

  
  No Steam Finishing

  Fabric manufacturers include various dry cleaning symbols on clothing labels, often combining a circle and a straight line, to provide clear instructions.