Washing symbols guide

Sometimes it can be challenging to wash and care for clothes. It is not unusual for a woollen jumper to come out of the dryer three sizes too small or for a lace dress to disintegrate under a hot iron. Always make sure to check the care label to find out how clothes should be washed and ironed. Extra care needs to be taken when washing the following materials, silk, wool, coloured cotton textiles and synthetic materials.

We have created a useful washing symbols guide that you can download and print out and hang up next to your washing machine.

In this article we will show you the different washing symbols. The symbols will tell you everything you need to know about washing, drying and ironing your clothes.

Understanding the different symbols on a care label.

Washing symbols
Bleach symbols
Drying symbols
Ironing symbols
Dry cleaning symbols

Washing symbols and their meanings

Generally, the five care symbols on each item of clothing indicate how they should be washed. In addition, the symbols also provide instructions for dry cleaning. The symbols on each label are laid out in the following order: wash – bleach – dry – iron.

Washing symbols

The first symbol on the label is usually the wash symbol. This describes whether it can be washed in the washing machine and at what temperature. The number indicates the maximum temperature it can be washed at in degrees Celsius. You can wash items of clothing up to the temperature shown on the care label.

If the wash symbol is crossed out on the care label you will need to take those clothes to the dry cleaners. Make sure to only handwash or use a handwash program for clothes which have a handwash symbol on the care label.

In addition to the normal laundry symbol, there are also various care symbols. If there is a bar underneath the symbol of a bowl of water then that particular item of clothing needs to be washed on a delicates wash program. To do this, select the delicate or easy care program. You should also select a low spin speed and it is important to not overload the washing drum. It is recommended to not wash these items of clothing made out of delicate materials too often.

If there are two bars underneath the bowl of water, you should select a special wash program for washing those clothes. Some washing machine models have special wash programs for wool, silk or cashmere. It is recommended to use a handwash program if there are no special wash programs on your washing machine.

You should take any items of clothing with stubborn stains that are made out of delicate materials such as wool or cashmere to the dry cleaners.

Bleaching symbols

The second triangle symbol on a care label shows you whether an item of clothing can be bleached. Almost all washing powders contain bleaching agents to remove discolouration from light coloured clothes. It is a good idea to check at the care label and the laundry detergent carefully as not all items of clothing can be washed with bleach. Don’t forget to use a colour laundry detergent when you are washing different coloured clothes, as this will help to prevent the colours in your clothes from fading.

Using the wrong laundry detergent is one of the most common mistakes. Always make sure to check the care label and the packaging on your laundry detergent.

Drying symbols

The third set of symbols on a care label will show you how clothes need to be dried. This indicates whether clothes can be tumble dried or if it should be left out to dry.

If the symbol is crossed out, you should leave your clothes out to air dry. If the care label doesn’t have any other restrictions, then it is recommended to dry clothes on the clothesline on a hanger. Do not spin dry your laundry if the care symbol shows that your clothes need to drip dry.

Tip: If your clothes or bed linen are suitable for tumble drying, you should pay attention to the different drying levels. To prevent shrinkage look closely at the number of dots in the circle. This indicates how high or low the temperature needs to be.

Ironing symbols

Probably the easiest care symbol to recognise is the iron. This indicates whether an item of clothing can be ironed and at what temperature. The more dots there are on the iron symbol, the hotter your clothes can be ironed. Cotton or linen fabrics can be ironed on the highest setting as these materials are quite heat resistant. Synthetic fibres and mixed fabrics need to be ironed at a lower temperature and should be ironed on a medium or low heat.

Dry cleaning symbols

A circle with a letter in it means that the item of clothing needs to be dry cleaned. The letters in the circles indicate the different solvents that may be used for dry cleaning. Do not try to wash clothes at home if the care label shows that they need to be dry cleaned.

Conclusion: washing symbols and their different meanings

Washing and care symbols are important as they show us how our clothes need to be washed, dried and ironed. The small pictograms, which usually only consist of lines and circles help us to avoid making any mistakes. You can make your clothes longer lasting by carefully checking the care label before washing them.

Download our helpful washing symbols guide for further information on washing and care symbols.

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