Laundry symbols, decoded

The tub symbol is often the first element on care labels and is where many laundry errors occur. On US labels, dots inside the tub indicate water temperature: one dot signifies cold at 30°C/86°F, two dots suggest warm at 40°C/104°F, and three or more dots mean hot. European tags directly print the temperature inside the tub, so a “30” represents the same as a single dot.

Lines beneath the tub are equally important as temperature. One line advises using the permanent press cycle with reduced spin, whereas two lines recommend the gentle cycle. A hand reaching into the tub indicates hand wash only, a common directive for wool and silk. If the tub is crossed out, it signals that water is not suitable, directing you to consider the dry cleaning symbols instead.

The triangle symbol is the briefest section of the care label, presenting only three conditions. An empty triangle indicates that any bleach is permissible, including chlorine. A triangle with two diagonal lines restricts use to non-chlorine bleach, the oxygen-based type marketed as color-safe. A crossed-out solid triangle prohibits bleach entirely.

The consequences are uneven: using bleach on a no-bleach garment causes immediate damage, while omitting bleach on a bleach-safe item has no cost. Should a tag be faded and the triangle indistinct, it's prudent to assume no bleach and proceed accordingly.

The square covers all post-wash instructions. A circle inside the square permits tumble drying, with dots inside that circle indicating heat settings: one for low, two for medium, three for high. A filled circle indicates tumbling without heat. A crossed-out circle in a square is important for sweaters, indicating no machine drying.

The square also includes air-drying instructions. A curved line at the top denotes line drying, three vertical lines indicate drip drying without wringing, one horizontal line suggests drying flat, and diagonal lines in the corner inform you to avoid direct sunlight. Heat causes more shrinkage than any other laundry error, so air drying is a safe bet when uncertain.

The ironing symbol is the most straightforward, resembling a small iron viewed from the side. Dots on the sole plate specify temperature: one dot for approximately 110°C/230°F, suitable for acetate and nylon; two dots for around 150°C/300°F, appropriate for polyester blends, silk, and wool; three dots for about 200°C/390°F, the maximum heat setting for cotton and linen.

Crossed steam marks beneath the iron signify dry ironing only, as steam may spot or distort some fabrics. A crossed-out iron means no ironing at all, typically indicating a fabric that could melt or glaze under direct heat.

The circle symbol communicates more with your dry cleaner than with you. A plain circle denotes that the garment requires professional cleaning. A letter inside provides the cleaner with process instructions: “P” for standard solvents used by most shops, “F” for petroleum-based solvents employed on delicate fabrics, and “W” for professional wet cleaning, a method using water. A line beneath the circle requests a gentle version of the process.

A crossed-out circle indicates no dry cleaning, leaving the wash symbols to detail the entire care routine. For resellers, this information is important at listing time, as a dry-clean-only label alters the buyer's commitment.

Laundry symbols serve as an internationally recognized code for the proper care of garments, detailing how to wash, bleach, dry, iron, and dry clean them. The system employs five basic icons: a tub for washing, a triangle for bleach, a square for drying, an iron for ironing, and a circle for professional cleaning. Temperature is indicated by dots, gentler cycles by lines under a shape, and prohibition by a cross through any symbol.

The system exists so care instructions are understandable across languages. A tag made in Portugal and sold in Chicago depends on pictograms, not text, for clarity. While the US adheres to ASTM guidelines and Europe to the GINETEX system, the symbols remain consistent across both regions.

Care symbols always follow a set sequence: wash, bleach, dry, iron, dry clean. Reading from left to right gives you the garment’s complete care routine.

Examining the entire tag pays off too. The fiber content line tells you what the garment is made of, which drives every care decision above it. The RN number identifies the company behind the garment. Size AI’s Label Scanner captures all of it in a single photo, symbols included, and converts the tag into structured data for your listing or catalog.