How to read the symbols on a care label

Short answer: Five symbols cover most of it: a tub for washing, a triangle for bleaching, a square for drying, an iron for ironing and a circle for dry cleaning. Dots and lines under the symbols show how gently to treat the fabric.

The tub shows the highest temperature

The number inside the tub is the maximum temperature, not a recommendation. You can always wash cooler if you want to treat the fabric more gently. No hand shown inside the symbol means the machine can be used as normal, while a hand means only hand washing at the stated temperature.

Lines under the symbol mean gentleness

A single line under the tub means gentle wash, while two lines mean extra gentle treatment with shorter spin. Delicate fabrics and knitwear often carry two lines. See bamboo socks for women for an example of a product where the wash symbol often carries one line underneath.

The triangle covers bleaching

An empty triangle means bleach can be used carefully, while two diagonal lines inside mean only non chlorine bleach. A cross over the triangle means bleaching is not allowed at all. Most coloured textiles should be treated as if bleaching is ruled out entirely.

The square tells you about the dryer

A circle inside the square means the item can go in the tumble dryer, and dots inside the circle show how much heat is allowed. One dot means low heat, two dots mean normal heat. See bamboo t-shirt for women for a product where low heat is often recommended.

The iron and its dots

An iron with one dot means low heat, two dots mean medium and three dots mean high heat. A cross over the iron means the item should not be ironed at all. Always follow the lowest number when the fabric is a blend of several materials.

The circle covers professional cleaning

An empty circle means the item can be dry cleaned professionally, while a circle with a cross means no dry cleaning at all. Letters inside the circle tell the cleaner which chemicals may be used. Most home washed textiles never need this information at all.

A cross always means never

A cross over any symbol means that method must not be used at all, no matter how gently you try. See bamboo clothing for women to find more styles where the wash symbols are clearly listed on the product page.

The order of the symbols

The symbols always appear in the same order on a care label: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry cleaning. Knowing the order makes it faster to find the symbol you need, even when the label is small and the text hard to read in a busy day.

When the label is hard to read

If the text on the care label is worn or hard to make out, you can often find the same details on the product page in the webshop. See bamboo underwear for women for an example of how material and care instructions are described when shopping online.