Laundry symbols
Decode laundry care symbols on clothing labels to properly care for your garments
All symbols (42)
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How to read laundry symbols
Care labels use five basic shapes. The wash tub covers washing, the triangle bleaching, the square drying, the iron ironing, and the circle professional cleaning. Marks change the meaning: dots set the temperature, bars under a symbol ask for a gentler cycle, and a cross means do not. Read the shape first, then the marks, and most labels make sense.
This decoder lists 41 symbols in five categories: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional care. Filter by category or search by name, then select a symbol to read what it means in plain words, with temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit. The guide runs in your browser, so you can open it on your phone at the washing machine.
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How to decode a care label
- Find the care label, usually on a side seam or at the collar.
- Pick the category that matches the symbol's shape, or search by name.
- Select the matching symbol to read what it means.
- Check the dots, bars and crosses, which change the temperature and the cycle.
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Fabric care guide
Cotton
Machine wash warm or hot, tumble dry medium, iron high heat. Very durable and can handle most treatments.
Wool
Hand wash or machine wash gentle cold, lay flat to dry, iron low with steam. Avoid agitation and heat to prevent shrinking.
Silk
Hand wash cold or dry clean, do not wring, iron low on reverse side. Very delicate, avoid direct sunlight.
Synthetic (Polyester, Nylon)
Machine wash warm, tumble dry low or hang dry, iron low heat if needed. Prone to static and pilling.
Linen
Machine wash cool/warm, tumble dry low or hang dry, iron while damp at high heat. Wrinkles easily but very breathable.
Denim
Machine wash cold inside out, tumble dry low or hang dry. Wash infrequently to preserve color and fit.
Laundry tips
- Always check the care label before washing a new garment for the first time
- When hand washing, use lukewarm water and a gentle detergent, then squeeze (don't wring) excess water
- For low heat ironing, place a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric
- Sort laundry by color (lights, darks, whites) and fabric type for best results
- Turn clothes inside out to preserve colors and reduce wear on the visible surface
Common laundry mistakes to avoid
Ignoring care labels and washing everything the same way
Take 5 seconds to check the label - it can save your favorite clothes
Using too much detergent (more isn't better)
Follow the recommended amount on the detergent packaging
Drying delicates in high heat
Air dry or use the lowest heat setting for delicate items
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Laundry symbols FAQ
- What do the dots on laundry symbols mean?
- Dots show temperature. In a wash tub, one dot means 30°C, two 40°C, three 50°C, four 60°C, five 70°C and six 95°C. On an iron, one dot is low heat up to about 110°C, two dots medium up to 150°C and three dots high up to 200°C. In a tumble dryer symbol, one dot means low heat and two dots normal heat.
- What is the difference between the circle and square symbols?
- A square is about drying at home: with a circle inside it means tumble drying, and with lines it means line, drip or flat drying. A circle on its own is for professional cleaning. The letter inside tells the cleaner which process to use: P and F are dry cleaning solvents, and W is professional wet cleaning.
- Are laundry symbols the same in every country?
- Mostly. Europe and much of the world use the ISO 3758 system, based on the GINETEX symbols, and the US uses ASTM D5489, which is broadly similar. The basic shapes match; details such as how temperatures are written can differ. Japan used its own symbols until it adopted the ISO system in 2016.
- Does the laundry symbol guide collect any data?
- No. The symbols and descriptions are built into the page, and searching and filtering happen in your browser. What you type in the search box is not sent anywhere. As on every page of this site, an anonymous page view is counted.
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