Laundry symbols help you avoid accidentally ruining a favorite article of clothing by washing, drying, or cleaning it the wrong way. A laundry symbol guide makes it easy to learn the proper laundry care for your garments and how to read the laundry symbols on clothing care labels.
Guide for How to Read Laundry Symbols on Clothing Labels
You can learn what all the laundry symbols mean with a chart. This guide for laundry symbols allows you to understand what the two dots washing symbol and square circle dot laundry symbol mean as well as many other symbols.
Washing Symbols Chart
A chart that describes each washing symbol for machine washing clothes and other household fabrics depicts a small bucket or pail of water. This is the first symbol on a care label. The 1-7 dots depicted inside the bucket represent the water temperature you should use. The more dots inside the bucket, the higher the water temperature should be. Numbers refer to the water temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Washing Machine Settings
Lines underneath the bucket of water tell you which machine cycle to use. More lines mean a more gentle cycle. Therefore, no lines means using the normal cycle.
No Machine Washing
If you see the following symbols, do not put the garment in the washing machine.
Bleaching Symbols
The symbol used for bleach is a triangle. According to Textile Industry Affairs, about 98% of all washable textiles are safe in some type of bleach - usually color safe or oxygen bleach, so it's important to understand how to use bleach in your laundry. If bleach is not mentioned or represented by a symbol, it may indicate any type of bleach can be used. However, to minimize the risk of damaging the garment, the American Cleaning Institute recommends doing a small patch test first.
Mix a small amount of bleach with water using the manufacturer recommended ratio. Dip a cotton swab into the mixture and dab it onto an inside seam. If there is no change in color, it should be safe to use.
Drying Symbols
Both machine and air drying symbols are represented by a square. As with washing, temperature is indicated by the number of dots.
Dryer Machine Settings
Lines underneath the square instruct which cycle to use on a machine dryer:
No Machine Drying
If you see the following symbols, do not put the garment in a machine dryer.
Air Drying
The following symbols instruct methods for air drying.
Ironing Symbols
An ironing symbol is represented by a small figure that looks like an iron with a handle on top. It also looks similar to a slightly flattened, square-shaped, lowercase "a."
Dry-Cleaning Symbols
For home laundering, you only need to be concerned with the following two dry-cleaning symbols. Dry-cleaning symbols with letters tell professional cleaners which type of solvent to use and diagonal lines indicate when to use low heat, reduced moisture, the short cycle or no steam.
Downloadable Laundry Symbols Chart
You can download the LoveToKnow Laundry Symbols Chart to print and keep in your laundry room or elsewhere for a convenient reference. You can the LoveToKnow guide for downloading Adobe printables.
Order of Clothing Care Symbols
Care labels must remain permanently attached to the textile item throughout its life expectancy. The Federal Trade Commission requires American care labels to present laundering symbols in a specific order:
- Washing instructions include temperature and machine cycle.
- Bleaching instructions include do not bleach or non-chlorine bleach only. No symbol is required if any type of bleach can be used.
- Drying instructions include temperature and machine cycle or the method for air drying.
- Ironing instructions include temperature and when not to steam or use the iron at all. The symbol is not required for items that are not usually ironed.
- Dry cleaning instructions include the cycle and solvent.
What To Do If Care Label Fails to Protect Garment
Safe cleaning methods shown on a care label act as a care warranty. If you follow the clothing care label's directions and the garment is damaged in the process of cleaning or drying, return it to the store where you purchased it and ask for a refund or exchange. If the store doesn't help, ask for the manufacturer's name and contact information. An explanation of the problem in writing should help resolve the issue.
Laundry Symbols Made Simple for Clothing Care
A guide that features the laundry symbols can make caring for your clothing simple. You can use a laundry symbol chart to decipher any care labels to ensure you protect your clothing and other textile items.
