Ever wondered what those funny-looking symbols on the labels of your clothes mean? We’re here to answer that question for you.
At first glance, these symbols can seem confusing, but don’t worry. Once you know how to decode them, you can help avoid damage, shrinkage, and fading. With your new-found knowledge, you’ll be able to care for your clothes and keep them looking their best.
(While these symbols are generally the same worldwide, this guide focuses on British washing symbols on clothes. It doesn’t include those found on washing machines or appliances.)
What are washing symbols?
Washing symbols offer helpful guidance on how to look after your clothes. Most clothing has them, but some items, like trainers, usually don’t. We can still help with that though. Check out our guide on how to clean your trainers in the washing machine.
Where to find them
You’ll find washing symbols on the care labels sewn into your clothing. Look on the inside seam or near the neckline.
Common washing symbols and their meanings
Washing symbols can be split into categories based on the type of care they suggest. We’re going to cover the most common ones:
Normal wash
This symbol shows a bucket filled with water. It means the item can go in the washing machine.
Gentle cycle
The same bucket symbol, but with two lines underneath. This means you should wash the item on a gentle cycle.
Wash temperature symbols
Dots inside the bucket show the recommended water temperature. One dot means cold, two dots mean warm, and three dots mean hot.
Dry clean only
A circle on its own means that the item should be dry cleaned and not washed in a machine.
Hand wash symbol
A hand dipping into a bucket of water. This means that you should hand wash the item instead of using a machine
Tumble dry symbols
As well as washing symbols, care labels offer advice on how to dry your clothes.
Tumble dry
This symbol is a square with a circle inside, meaning tumble drying is ok.
Tumble dry (gentle)
This symbol is the same as the standard tumble dry symbol, but with two lines underneath.
Do not tumble dry
This shows a square with a circle and a cross through it, meaning you shouldn’t tumble dry the item.
Heat settings
The number of dots inside the circle confirms the heat setting. (One dot for low heat, two for medium, and three for high.)
Line drying and other air-dry symbols
Air-drying symbols tell you how clothes should be dried without using a dryer.
Line dry
A square with a curved line from the top left to the top right corner. This means hang the item to dry on a line.
Dry flat
A square with a short horizontal line inside indicates that you should lie the item flat to dry.
Drip dry
A square with three vertical lines inside means hang the item to dry without wringing it out.
Dry cleaning symbols
Dry cleaning symbols offer guidance for clothing that needs professional cleaning.
Do not dry clean
A circle with a cross through it means the item shouldn’t be dry cleaned.
Low heat
A circle with a line beneath it to the right indicates that the item should be dry cleaned at low heat.
Short cycle
Similar to the low heat symbol, a line beneath the circle on the left means that the item requires a shorter dry-clean cycle.
Wringing symbols
These symbols tell you whether you can wring out your clothes.
Wringing allowed
A twisted towel-like symbol means you can wring it out to remove excess water.
Do not wring
A crossed-out wringing symbol means that the item shouldn’t be wrung out to avoid damage.
Ironing symbols
These symbols tell you how to iron your clothes and at what temperature.
Ironing temperatures
An iron symbol with dots inside shows the recommended temperature to use. One dot for low, two for medium, and three for high.
Do not iron
An iron symbol with a cross through it means the item shouldn’t be ironed.
Dry iron only
An iron symbol with a cross underneath means that the item can be ironed, but without steam.
Bleaching symbols
Bleaching symbols tell you whether you can use bleach or not.
Bleach allowed
This symbol is a triangle and means that you can use bleach.
Non-chlorine bleach only
A triangle with diagonal lines inside means that only non-chlorine bleach should be used.
Do not bleach
A triangle with a cross through it means the clothing shouldn’t be bleached.
Tips for reading care labels
By learning how to read these washing symbols, you’ll get the best out of your clothes. To make it easier, try downloading a laundry care app. This will help you to quickly look up their meaning. Or print out a cheat sheet and keep it near your washing machine.
Remember, by ignoring washing symbols, you can cause wear and tear not just to your clothes but to your washing machine too. Overloading your machine can lead to lint build-up or damage to the drum and filters. To avoid this, check out our guide on how to clean your washing machine pump filter.