The ironing and cleaning symbols translated
Short answer: The iron means ironing, and the dots show the heat. The circle means dry cleaning, and the letter inside the circle tells the cleaner which solvent may be used for your particular garment.
The iron is the symbol itself
A small iron on the care label is about ironing. If the iron is empty, with no dots, nothing is said about heat, and then it is wiser to start on the lowest setting. The iron only says that ironing is possible, while the dots inside it show how hot it may get.
One dot is low heat
One dot means low heat, around 110 degrees, and suits elastane and synthetic fibres. If the garment contains elastane, the lowest heat is the safe one. Iron slowly and never leave the iron standing, because even mild heat can leave a shiny mark if it sits too long on the same spot.
Two dots are medium heat
Two dots mean around 150 degrees. This is a medium setting that many garments tolerate, and it suits most bamboo garments where the label shows two dots. Let the iron cool a little if you just used a hot setting on something else, and start too cool rather than too hot.
Three dots are high heat
Three dots are the high setting, which suits cotton and linen. These are the sturdiest fabrics, and they take the most heat. If you iron thick and thin garments on the same day, begin with the lowest heat and work upwards, so you avoid waiting for the iron to cool down again.
The cross over the iron
A cross over the iron means the garment must not be ironed. Then no setting is safe, and you smooth the creases in other ways, for example by hanging the garment in the bathroom after a shower or pulling the fabric flat by hand while it is still slightly damp.
The cross over the steam
If there is a cross over the small steam lines under the iron, you may iron dry but not with steam. Switch off the steam function and preferably empty the water tank, so nothing drips by mistake. If the label has no steam lines at all, it is still wise to try dry first. See also the bamboo shirt for men.
Iron on the inside
On dark garments it is a good idea to iron on the inside. This avoids shiny marks, which appear when the hot plate of the iron flattens the fibres on the outer side. If the fabric is thin, you can lay a thin, clean tea towel between, so the iron never touches the fabric directly and the heat spreads more evenly.
The circle for cleaning
A circle on the label means dry cleaning. The letter inside the circle tells the cleaner which solvent may be used, so you do not need to decode it yourself. Just hand over the label or the garment and let the cleaner read the letter. See also the bamboo shorts for men and the bamboo tops for women.
The cross over the circle
If there is a cross over the circle, the garment must not be dry cleaned. Then you wash it instead, which is often an advantage, because most bamboo garments are made to be washed at home anyway. Read the washing instruction beside it, so you find the temperature and programme the garment is made for.
How to read the whole row
Read the row from left to right: wash, bleach, dry, iron and clean. Each symbol answers one question, and a cross always means no. With that order in mind, you quickly see what applies, without searching online for the explanation every time you hold a new garment.
Frequently asked questions
How hot may bamboo viscose be ironed?
One or two dots. Check the symbol on the label, because it applies to your exact garment. If you are unsure, start with one dot and try on a hidden spot.
What does a cross over the circle mean?
That the garment must not be dry cleaned. Wash it instead by the washing instruction on the label, which shows the temperature and programme that suit the garment.
Should you iron on the inside?
On dark garments, yes. It avoids shiny marks on the outer side, where the iron can otherwise flatten the fibres and leave a gloss that does not disappear again.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
