
Make sure to check the label first.Īn open triangle means you can go ahead and use bleach, but a triangle with lines through it (like the middle triangle, above) means you should use nonchlorine bleach.

Many people just assume, if a garment is white, it can be bleached. If you see a colored-in dryer icon, it means you need to tumble dry the item without heat. An empty circle means you can use any temperature setting.Īlso, pay attention to whether the icon is colored-in or not. Two dots means the item can be tumble dried on high heat. A tumble dry symbol with a dot in the center means that the item can tumble dry using the normal heat setting. Typically, it's best to let these items air dry. If you see the dryer symbol crossed out, don't put your clothing item in the dryer. The laundry symbols for drying in a dryer is a square with a circle in it, or sometimes just a circle. Lines crossed out below the iron means the garment can't be steamed. Lines coming from the bottom of the iron icon means that you can steam the garment. Two dots means you should use a medium heat setting and three dots indicates a high heat setting, usually for cotton or linen fabric. If you see one dot inside of an iron icon, that means you need to use a low heat setting.

Then, there are variations.ĭots inside the icon tell you which heat setting to use. Just like with the basin symbol, if you see an iron symbol with the care instructions it means you can iron the garment, while a crossed out icon means you can't. These symbols help decode which fabrics can withstand the washing process, which can ruin delicate fabric.

If it's crossed out, then your garment can't be washed, and typically needs to be dry cleaned. If you see it on the label, that means your clothing item can be washed. The wash basin icon is basically a tub with water in it. Here's what the most common laundry symbols mean on your clothing's care label, so you can clean them effectively and safely on laundry day. Ignoring these icons can leave you with shrunken, discolored or mangled clothes.
#Laundry signs how to
They're basically your user's manual for how to take care of your garment so it lasts as long as possible. The little laundry symbols found on clothing tags aren't just suggestions.
