Clothing care
Laundry Care Symbols: What to Check Before You Wash
A quick guide to wash, bleach, dry, iron, and professional-cleaning symbols on clothing labels, with direct answers to the marks people often miss.
The quick answer
What do laundry symbols mean?
Read the label in this order: 
wash tub for water and cycle, 
triangle for bleach, 
square for drying, 
iron for heat, then 
circle for professional care. A cross means do not use that method. Numbers and dots set upper heat limits; bars underneath call for a gentler process.
See the symbols. Know the next step.
Find the shape on your label, then check the small mark inside or underneath it.
Wash tub
The number is the highest water temperature. A bar underneath means a gentler cycle; a hand in the tub means hand wash.
Triangle
An empty triangle permits bleach. Two diagonal lines allow oxygen bleach but rule out chlorine bleach.
Square
A circle inside means tumble drying. A horizontal line means dry flat. A crossed dryer means keep it out of the tumble dryer.
Iron
Dots set the heat limit: one is low, two medium, three high. A cross means do not iron.
Circle
P and F give dry-cleaning instructions to a professional. W means professional wet cleaning; a crossed circle means no dry cleaning.
Read the complete label and any written instructions on your garment. If it is unclear, ask the maker or a professional cleaner before treating a valuable item.
Questions people ask at the machine
Does 30 in the wash tub mean I must wash at 30°C?
No. It is the maximum wash temperature on that label. Choose a suitable cycle at or below it.
What does a line under the wash tub mean?
One bar means a milder wash with less mechanical action. Two bars mean a very mild process. Match the label to your machine’s delicate or similarly gentle cycle.
Can I tumble dry a garment if its label only shows a square with a line?
The line describes natural drying, such as line drying or drying flat. Follow that instruction; do not assume tumble drying is safe.
Does a circle mean “dry clean only”?
No. The circle describes professional care. A letter inside guides the cleaner; it does not, by itself, say that home washing is forbidden. Check the wash tub and any words on the label too.
Sources and review
Checked against the GINETEX care-symbol guide for ISO 3758:2023 and the US FTC care-labeling guidance. Icons are from Care Label Symbols by Chen He (MIT license). Symbol conventions can vary by market; follow the garment’s complete label.
Published by Klenit · Sources checked · Our editorial policy