Laundry washing and drying symbols: what they mean

The care symbols on a clothing label tell you how to wash, dry and iron each garment without ruining it. There are five families of pictograms —washing, bleach, drying, ironing and professional cleaning— and understanding them saves you more than one headache: shrunken, faded or melted clothes. Here is the complete chart, with special attention to the drying symbols, which cause the most confusion.

What are the symbols on the label?

Every garment carries a label with standardised pictograms (ISO 3758 standard). They are read from left to right: washing, bleach, drying, ironing and professional cleaning. The golden rule: if a symbol has an X over it, it means "no" (do not machine wash, do not tumble dry, etc.).

Washing symbols (the wash tub)

• Wash tub with water: can be machine washed. The number (30, 40, 60…) is the maximum temperature in degrees.
• Wash tub with a hand: hand wash only, with lukewarm water.
• One or two lines beneath the tub: gentle or very gentle programme (less spinning).
• Wash tub crossed out: do not wash with water; take it to dry cleaning.

Drying symbols (the square): the key chart

This is what gets searched for the most. Drying is shown with a square; if it has a circle inside, it refers to the tumble dryer:

• Square with a circle: suitable for the tumble dryer.
• Circle with one dot: tumble dry at a low temperature.
• Circle with two dots: tumble dry at a normal or high temperature.
• Circle crossed out: do not tumble dry.
• Square with a horizontal line: dry flat (ideal for wool and knitwear).
• Square with a curved line at the top: line dry hung up.

Ironing symbols (the iron)

• Iron with one dot: iron at a low temperature (max. 110 ºC), for delicate garments.
• Iron with two dots: medium temperature (max. 150 ºC), for synthetics and silk.
• Iron with three dots: high temperature (max. 200 ºC), for cotton and linen.
• Iron crossed out: do not iron.

Bleach and professional cleaning

• Empty triangle: bleach may be used. Triangle crossed out: do not use bleach.
• Circle with a letter (P, F or W): professional cleaning (dry cleaning or wet cleaning). Circle crossed out: do not dry clean.

The tip that saves your clothes from ruin

The most common mistake is putting something marked with the crossed-out circle (wool, delicate garments, certain prints) in the tumble dryer and pulling it out shrunken. If in doubt, use a low temperature (one dot); and for duvets or blankets, a large tumble dryer. At our self-service launderettes you can choose the drying temperature and use machines of up to 22 kg, so you control exactly what the label says.

Quick summary

• Wash tub = washing (the number is the temperature).
• Square with a circle = tumble dryer (dots = temperature; crossed out = no).
• Iron = ironing (dots = temperature).
• Any symbol with an X = don't do it.