Laundry Symbols and Care Label Meanings
Laundry symbols are the small icons on a care label that tell you how to wash, bleach, dry, iron and dry clean a garment. There are five basic shapes, and dots, lines and crosses change their meaning. Once you know the five shapes, every care label is easy to read.
The five basic shapes
| Shape | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Washtub | Washing |
| Triangle | Bleaching |
| Square | Drying |
| Iron | Ironing |
| Circle | Professional cleaning (dry clean or wet clean) |
A cross through any symbol means do not. More dots mean more heat. Lines underneath mean a gentler cycle.
Washing symbols
- Washtub: machine washable.
- Washtub with 1 dot or 30: wash at up to 30°C (cold).
- 2 dots or 40: up to 40°C (warm).
- 3 dots or 50: up to 50°C.
- 4 dots or 60: up to 60°C (hot).
- One line under the tub: gentle or synthetic cycle.
- Two lines under the tub: very gentle cycle, for wool and delicates.
- Hand in the tub: hand wash only, at up to 40°C.
- Crossed out tub: do not wash.
Bleaching symbols
- Empty triangle: any bleach can be used.
- Triangle with two diagonal lines: non chlorine (oxygen) bleach only.
- Crossed out triangle: do not bleach.
Drying symbols
- Square with a circle: tumble dry. One dot means low heat, two dots normal heat.
- Crossed out square with circle: do not tumble dry.
- Square with a curved line at the top: line dry.
- Square with three vertical lines: drip dry, hang up while wet.
- Square with one horizontal line: dry flat.
- Diagonal line in the corner: dry in the shade.
Ironing symbols
- Iron with 1 dot: low heat, up to 110°C. For nylon, acrylic and delicate synthetics.
- Iron with 2 dots: medium heat, up to 150°C. For wool, silk and polyester.
- Iron with 3 dots: high heat, up to 200°C. For cotton and linen.
- Iron with crossed lines underneath: do not use steam.
- Crossed out iron: do not iron.
Professional cleaning symbols
- Circle with P: dry clean with most common solvents.
- Circle with F: dry clean with hydrocarbon solvents only.
- Circle with W: professional wet cleaning.
- Line under the circle: gentle process.
- Crossed out circle: do not dry clean.
What should a care label include?
Most clothing care labels show the fibre content, the care symbols in the order wash, bleach, dry, iron and professional care, and often the country of origin. Rules can differ by country, so check what is required where you sell.
Need care labels for your brand?
We print custom care labels on satin or satin woven tape with your symbols, fibre content and wording, from 25 pieces. For brand name labels, see custom woven labels.
Frequently asked questions
What do the dots on laundry symbols mean?
Dots show temperature. On a washtub, 1 dot is 30°C, 2 dots 40°C, 3 dots 50°C and 4 dots 60°C. On an iron, 1 dot is low, 2 dots medium and 3 dots high heat.
What does a triangle mean on a clothing label?
The triangle is about bleach. An empty triangle allows any bleach, two diagonal lines mean non chlorine bleach only, and a cross means do not bleach.
What does a square with a circle mean?
It means the item can be tumble dried. Dots show the heat level, and a cross means do not tumble dry.
What do the lines under a washtub mean?
One line means a gentle or synthetic cycle. Two lines mean a very gentle cycle for wool and delicates.
What does the circle with a P mean?
The item can be professionally dry cleaned with most common solvents.