Laundry day is simpler when you understand clothing care labels. Misreading symbols often leads to shrunken sweaters or faded fabrics—but not anymore.
This expert guide breaks down every symbol across washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and professional cleaning, based on international standards. Save your wardrobe with confidence.
Click here to easily print this guide in PDF.
The symbols are grouped into five key categories: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and professional cleaning.
Cotton program wash (no line)
Synthetic program wash (one line)
Delicate program wash (two lines)
Hand wash: Do not machine wash. Garment requires dry cleaning only.
No washing: Dry clean only; no washing permitted.
All types of bleach authorized: Safe with chlorine or oxygen bleach like sodium percarbonate.
Oxygen bleach only: Use non-chlorine agents like sodium percarbonate exclusively.
No bleaching: Avoid bleach entirely; use color-safe or delicate detergents only.
Tumble dry normal (two dots): Up to 80°C.
Tumble dry low (one dot): Moderate 60°C heat with shorter cycle.
Line dry
Line dry without spin
Dry flat
Do not tumble dry
No wringing
Dry in shade
High heat iron (3 dots): Max 200°C for cotton/linen.
Medium heat (2 dots): Max 150°C for wool, silk, polyester, viscose.
Low heat (1 dot): Max 110°C for acrylic, nylon, acetate. No steam.
No ironing: Risk of damage.
Any solvent dry cleaning
Perchlorethylene dry cleaning
Mineral spirits dry cleaning
No dry cleaning
Now you're equipped to read any washing label with ease. No more laundry mishaps like shrunken clothes from the wrong cycle.
Print this guide as a PDF and keep it by your washer and dryer.
Try this guide on your next load. Share in the comments if it helped—we'd love to hear!
