Laundry Symbols

Depicted as a bucket filled with water, the Wash Symbol tells you-what temperature or machine setting you should use to wash the item of clothing.

Permanent Press fabrics have been treated with chemicals to ensure they resist wrinkles and retain their original shape. If a piece of clothing is permanent press, it usually means that you shouldn’t iron it.

For ‘Hand Wash’ clothing, do not use a washing machine. Instead wash garments in a sink or small tub, using your hands to ensure that the cleaning liquid is thoroughly rubbed into the material and subsequently rinsed out.

For ‘Hand Wash’ clothing, do not use a washing machine. Instead wash garments in a sink or small tub, using your hands to ensure that the cleaning liquid is thoroughly rubbed into the material and subsequently rinsed out.

One Dot = 30ºC Two Dots = 40ºC Three Dots = 50º CFour Dots = 60º CFive Dots = 70ºC Six Dots = 95ºC

The gentle cycle is for delicate fibres like wool or silk, or for items of clothing that could be damaged by a vigorous washing (like sequined tops, tights, or Lycra).

The Do Not Wash symbol is the standard wash symbol with a cross through it. If the label instructs you not to wash the item, it will have to be dry cleaned after it gets dirty – see the section on Dry Cleaning Symbols below.

To make life easy, the ironing symbol is shaped like an old-fashioned iron.

Two dots mean that it can be ironed on medium.

Ironing symbols also employ the same dot system for heat levels, which should be adjustable on your iron: three dots mean that the item can be ironed on high.

One dot means that it can be ironed on low.

The basic tumble dryer symbol is a square with a circle in the middle of it.

When an item is marked as ‘Do Not Tumble Dry’ with a cross through the drying symbol, leave this garment to drip-dry on a drying rack, in an airing cupboard, or outside on your washing line rather than putting it in the dryer.

Again, a single line below the dryer symbol means that a Permanent Press setting should be used.

As with the washing symbols, the number of dots inside the circle will tell you the heat setting you should put your tumble dryer on to, as well as any specific program settings required: Three dots mean Tumble Dry High.

One dot means Tumble Dry Low.

Double lines mean that the Delicate setting must be used.

A triangle without anything in the middle means that any kind of bleach can be used on the clothing when needed.

A solid black triangle with crossed lines means ‘Do Not Bleach’. You should not attempt to use any kind of bleach on this garment.

A triangle filled with diagonal lines means that only non-chlorine bleaches should be used. Check the ingredients on your bleach to see if it contains chlorine.

The Dry Cleaning symbol is a circle.

The clothes that should be dry-cleaned under normal conditions will have a letter ‘F’ inside the circle.

For clothes that are dry clean only, the circle has a letter ‘P’ inside it.

A crossed-out circle means that you should not dry-clean the item.

Machine Wash, COLD

Machine Wash, WARM

Machine Wash, HOT

Machine Wash, COLD Permanent Press

Machine Wash, WARM Permanent Press

Machine Wash, HOT Permanent Press

Machine Wash,COLD Gentle Cycle

Machine Wash, WARM Gentle Cycle

Machine Wash, HOT Gentle Cycle

Hand Wash

Do Not Wash

Bleach as needed Any bleach, like Clorox®, may be safely used

Non-chlorine Bleach as needed Use only a color-safe bleach, like Clorox 2®

Do Not Bleach No bleach product should be used including detergents with bleach - or follow bleach package test procedures to test for bleach safety.

Tumble Dry, NO HEAT

Tumble Dry, LOW HEAT

Tumble Dry, MEDIUM

Tumble Dry, HIGH

Tumble Dry, Permanent Press, NO HEAT

Tumble Dry, Permanent Press, LOW HEAT

Tumble Dry, Permanent Press, MEDIUM

Tumble Dry, Gentle Cycle, NO HEAT

Tumble Dry, Gentle Cycle, LOW HEAT

Tumble Dry, Gentle Cycle, MEDIUM

Do Not Tumble Dry

Line Dry

Drip Dry

Dry Flat

Iron, Steam or Dry, with LOW HEAT

Iron, Steam or Dry, with MEDIUM HEAT

Iron, Steam or Dry, with HIGH HEAT

Do Not Iron with Steam

Do Not Iron

Dryclean May appear with additional letters and/or lines Take this item to a professional drycleaner

Do Not Dryclean