Laundry Symbols Explained: How to Read a Clothing Care Label

Almost every care label is built from five shapes: a washtub for washing, a triangle for bleach, a square for drying, an iron for pressing and a circle for professional cleaning. Dots tell you how much heat is allowed, lines underneath ask for a gentler treatment, and a cross through any symbol means "don't". Once those three rules click, a label takes seconds to read.

Below is a symbol-by-symbol guide, a quick reference table and the slip-ups that most often end with a shrunken jumper or a faded shirt.

Why care labels use pictures

Clothes are made in one country and sold in dozens of others, so labels rely on pictograms rather than words. Two closely related systems are in common use: the international one found on most European labels and the North American one. They share the same basic shapes. The main visible difference is temperature: European labels often print a number inside the washtub (30, 40, 60), while North American labels more often use dots.

The five basic symbols

Washtub: washing

A tub with a wavy water line means the garment can be machine washed. What sits inside and underneath it matters:

• Dots or a number set the maximum water temperature. One dot is cool (around 30°C), two dots warm (around 40°C), three dots hot (around 50°C), and more dots allow hotter washes still.
• One line under the tub asks for a gentler, permanent-press style cycle with a slower spin, typical for synthetics.
• Two lines under the tub mean a delicate or wool cycle with minimal agitation.
• A hand in the water means hand wash only, in lukewarm water, without wringing.
• A crossed-out tub means no washing in water at all; the item usually needs dry cleaning.

Triangle: bleaching

An empty triangle allows any bleach when needed. A triangle with two diagonal lines inside allows only non-chlorine, oxygen-based bleach, which is kinder to colours. A crossed-out triangle means no bleach of any kind, and that usually includes stain removers with bleaching agents in them.

Square: drying

The square covers every way of drying. A circle inside the square means tumble drying is fine, with dots for heat: one dot for low, two for medium, three for high. A filled-in circle means a no-heat or air setting, and a crossed-out version means keep it out of the dryer.

Without a circle, the lines describe air drying:

• A curved line at the top: hang on a line.
• Three vertical lines: drip dry, hung up while still wet and unspun.
• One horizontal line: dry flat, which stops knitwear stretching out of shape.
• Two diagonal lines in the corner: dry in the shade, to protect colours from strong sun.

Iron: pressing

Dots inside the iron set the soleplate temperature. One dot is low, suited to delicate synthetics such as acrylic or nylon. Two dots is medium, fine for wool, silk and polyester. Three dots is high, for cotton and linen. An iron with crossed lines beneath it means no steam, and a crossed-out iron means no ironing at all; hanging the piece in a warm, steamy bathroom can relax creases instead.

Circle: professional cleaning

The circle is a note for the dry cleaner rather than for you. Letters inside tell them which solvent to use, such as P or F, and a W means professional wet cleaning. A line under the circle asks for a milder process. A crossed-out circle means the item should not be dry cleaned. When a label shows a circle and a crossed-out tub, take the garment to a cleaner rather than experimenting at home.

Quick reference table

Symbol	What it means	What to do
Tub with one dot or 30	Cool wash only	Choose a cold or 30°C cycle
Tub with two lines below	Very gentle cycle	Use the wool or delicates programme
Hand in tub	Hand wash	Soak, swish, press water out; no wringing
Triangle with two lines	Oxygen bleach only	Avoid chlorine products
Square with circle and one dot	Tumble dry low	Pick the lowest heat setting
Square with horizontal line	Dry flat	Lay on a towel or rack, reshape while damp
Iron with three dots	Hot iron allowed	Fine for cotton and linen
Crossed-out circle	No dry cleaning	Follow the washing symbols instead

How to read a full label in order

1. Start with the washtub: can it go in the machine, and how hot?
2. Check the triangle before reaching for any stain treatment.
3. Look at the square to decide between the dryer and the drying rack.
4. Note the iron dots if the item creases easily.
5. Read the fibre content printed on the same label. A blend should be treated like its most delicate fibre.

Labels show the maximum treatment a garment can take. Washing cooler or drying more gently than the label allows is almost always fine, and it often helps clothes last longer.

Common mistakes

• Ignoring the lines under the tub. A warm wash might be allowed, but a fast spin can still distort a knit.
• Tumble drying "just this once". Heat shrinkage is usually permanent, especially for wool and cotton jersey.
• Using bleach-based stain sprays on a no-bleach item. Spot-test any remover on an inside seam first.
• Cutting labels off. If a tag scratches, photograph it before removing it so the instructions are not lost.
• Washing delicates with heavy items. Jeans and towels rub against finer fabrics and cause the fuzz covered in our guide to removing pilling from clothes.

Special cases

Shapewear, swimwear and lingerie

Elastic fibres dislike heat. Items such as a shapewear bodysuit usually call for a cool, gentle or hand wash and air drying, even when the outer fabric looks sturdy. A mesh laundry bag protects hooks and straps in the machine.

Clothes going into storage

Wash or clean anything before it is packed away for a season or a house move; stains set over time and leftover body oils attract moths. If you are boxing up a wardrobe, our notes on using container rentals for a move cover the packing side.

Quick questions

What does a square with a circle in it mean?

It means the item can go in a tumble dryer. Dots in the circle set the heat, and a cross through the symbol means it should not be tumble dried.

What if a garment has no care label?

Treat it as delicate: a cool, gentle wash or hand wash, no bleach, and dry flat or on a line out of strong sun.