Laundry symbols and what they mean
All 39 care label symbols in one chart: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning. Find the icon from your label and read what it allows.
Washing symbols
The washtub tells you how to wash. The number is the highest water temperature in °C, dots are the US way of saying the same, and bars underneath mean a gentler cycle.
- Wash at 95 °CBoil wash for sturdy white cotton and linen, such as towels and bed sheets.
- Wash at 60 °CHot normal wash for cotton, bedding, towels and underwear.
- 60 °C, gentle cycleUp to 60 °C on a synthetics or easy-care programme with a reduced spin.
- Wash at 40 °CWarm normal wash, the right setting for most everyday clothes.
- 40 °C, gentle cycleSynthetics or easy-care programme at 40 °C, with a lower spin so it creases less.
- 40 °C, very gentle cycleWool or delicates programme: little movement in the drum and a slow spin.
- Wash at 30 °CCool wash for dark colours and clothes that may shrink or run.
- 30 °C, gentle cycleCool synthetics programme for sportswear, blouses and blended fabrics.
- 30 °C, very gentle cycleDelicates or wool cycle at 30 °C for knitwear, silk blends and lingerie.
- Hand wash onlyWash by hand in water no hotter than 40 °C; squeeze gently, do not rub.
- Do not washNot washable in water at home; it usually needs a dry cleaner.
- One dot: cold washUS-style labels use dots for temperature: one dot means up to 30 °C (85 °F).
- Two dots: warm washWash at up to 40 °C (105 °F).
- Three dots: hot washWash at up to 50 °C (120 °F).
- Four dots: very hot washWash at up to 60 °C (140 °F); five and six dots mean 70 °C and 95 °C.
Bleaching symbols
The triangle is about bleach and stain removers that contain it.
- Any bleach allowedChlorine bleach or oxygen bleach can be used when needed.
- Non-chlorine bleach onlyOnly oxygen-based, colour-safe bleach; no chlorine.
- Chlorine bleach allowedAn older label: CL in the triangle means chlorine bleach is fine.
- Do not bleachNo bleach of any kind, including stain removers that contain it.
Tumble drying symbols
A circle in a square means the dryer. Dots set the heat: one for low, two for normal.
- Tumble drySafe for the dryer at any heat setting.
- Tumble dry, low heatUse the low or gentle setting (exhaust air up to 60 °C).
- Tumble dry, normal heatThe normal setting is fine (exhaust air up to 80 °C).
- Do not tumble dryKeep it out of the dryer: it may shrink or lose its shape.
Natural drying symbols
A square without a circle means drying without a machine: on a line, dripping wet or lying flat.
- Line dryHang on a washing line or drying rack.
- Drip dryHang up dripping wet, without spinning or wringing it first.
- Dry flatLay it flat on a towel or rack so knitwear keeps its shape.
- Dry flat in the shadeLay flat out of direct sunlight so the colours do not fade.
- Do not wringDo not twist the fabric to get the water out; press it out in a towel.
Ironing symbols
The iron shows the highest sole plate temperature: one dot is low, three dots is hot.
- Iron at high heatThree dots: sole plate up to 200 °C, for cotton and linen.
- Iron at medium heatTwo dots: up to 150 °C, for wool, silk and polyester.
- Iron at low heatOne dot: up to 110 °C, for acrylic, nylon and acetate; steam may damage it.
- Iron without steamIroning is fine, but switch the steam off.
- Do not ironNo ironing and no steaming.
Dry cleaning symbols
The circle is for the dry cleaner. The letter tells the cleaner which process and solvent to use; you do not need to act on it at home.
- Dry clean (P)Professional dry cleaning with perchloroethylene or the solvents allowed for F.
- Dry clean (P), gentleThe same solvents with a gentle process: less moisture, lower heat.
- Dry clean (F)Professional dry cleaning with hydrocarbon solvents only.
- Professional wet clean (W)A cleaner may wash it in water with special products and controlled drying.
- Do not dry cleanNo professional dry cleaning with solvents.
- Do not wet cleanNo professional wet cleaning.
How to read a care label
Care labels use five basic shapes, always in the same order: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care. Small marks on the shape add the details.
- Washtub: washing by machine or by hand.
- Triangle: bleaching.
- Square: drying, in a tumble dryer (with a circle) or naturally (with lines).
- Iron: ironing and steaming.
- Circle: professional dry or wet cleaning.
- Dots mean heat: the more dots, the hotter the water, dryer or iron may be.
- Bars under the washtub or circle mean a gentler treatment: one bar is gentle, two bars very gentle.
- A cross over any symbol means “do not”: do not wash, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, and so on.
Dots and temperatures
The highest temperature each number of dots allows, by ISO 3758 and the US labelling standard.
| Dots | Washing | Tumble drying | Ironing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 °C / 85 °F | 60 °C / 140 °F | 110 °C / 230 °F | |
| 40 °C / 105 °F | 80 °C / 175 °F | 150 °C / 300 °F | |
| 50 °C / 120 °F | – | 200 °C / 390 °F | |
| 60 °C / 140 °F | – | – | |
| 70 °C / 160 °F | – | – | |
| 95 °C / 200 °F | – | – |
Practical tips
- The temperature on the label is a maximum. Washing cooler is always allowed and saves energy.
- Sort by the strictest symbol: if one item says 30 °C, wash the whole load at 30 °C.
- No bars does not mean “anything goes”: very full drums and long spins still wear clothes out faster.
- Cut-off label? Look at the fabric: cotton and linen take heat, wool and silk need a gentle, cool wash.
Where these symbols come from
The shapes are set by the international standard ISO 3758 and used across Europe, much of Asia and Latin America. The US standard (ASTM D5489) uses the same shapes with dots instead of numbers, and Japan has used the ISO set since December 2016.
The care symbols are registered trademarks of GINETEX, the international association for textile care labelling. We show our own drawings of them here for information only.
Questions people ask
What do the dots in laundry symbols mean?
Dots stand for temperature. On a washtub, one dot is 30 °C (cold), two dots 40 °C, three 50 °C, four 60 °C. On a dryer symbol, one dot is low heat and two dots normal heat. On an iron, one dot is 110 °C, two 150 °C and three 200 °C.
What do the lines under the washtub mean?
They ask for a gentler wash. One line means a synthetics or easy-care programme with a lower spin. Two lines mean a very gentle wool or delicates programme. No line means a normal cycle.
What does the triangle on a clothing label mean?
The triangle is about bleach. An empty triangle allows any bleach, a triangle with two diagonal lines allows only non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach, and a crossed-out triangle means no bleach at all.
What does a square with a circle in it mean?
It means the item can go in a tumble dryer. Dots inside set the heat (one for low, two for normal). If it is crossed out, dry the item naturally instead.
What do P, F and W in a circle mean?
They are instructions for a professional cleaner. P allows dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and most solvents, F only hydrocarbon solvents, and W professional wet cleaning in water. A bar under the circle asks for a gentler process.
What if there is no care label?
Wash it as the most delicate fabric it could be: 30 °C on a gentle cycle, no bleach, and dry it flat or on a line. Test any stain remover on a hidden spot first.