Common Washing Symbols and What They Mean

Essentially, these fabric care labels serve as a guide to common washing symbols for clothing care, ensuring our garments last longer with proper wash care instructions.

Common Washing Symbols

Some of the most crucial washing symbols explained for beginners include a bucket of water, which indicates whether the fabric can be machine-washed. You’ll also see washing machine symbols meaning, such as temperature indicators (30, 40, 50, or 60 degrees). These numbers are known as water temperature symbols, and they help us avoid damaging fabrics by setting the right wash cycle. 

Drying symbols, represented by squares, indicate whether to line dry, air dry, or tumble dry our clothes. Ironing icons indicate whether heat can be applied safely, and fabric care symbols, such as triangles, indicate whether bleach is permitted. Together, these make up a complete guide to clothing care symbols for washing and drying.

Washing Symbols and Their Meaning

• Machine Washable: A bucket full of water means the garment can be machine-washed without special care.

   

• Hand Washing: A hand inside the bucket symbol suggests delicate fabrics should be hand-washed instead of using a machine.

   

• Do Not Wash: A crossed-out bucket indicates that the garment should not be washed at all and requires dry cleaning instead.

   

• Permanent Press or Delicate Cycles: A bucket with one line indicates a permanent-press cycle, which is designed to minimise wrinkles and is a perfect fit for clothes that tend to crease quickly, while two lines indicate a delicate cycle, which spins at a slower speed, resulting in less agitation, thus protecting the garment.

   

Drying Symbols and Their Meaning

Drip Dry: A square symbol with three vertical lines in its centre indicates that drip drying is best. Drip drying refers to hanging clothes that are still wet and allowing them to dry naturally, without twisting or using any external methods.

• Shade Drying: A square with diagonal lines in the corner means dry the fabric away from sunlight. This is usually the case for fabrics made from sensitive materials, as they may have an adverse reaction to sunlight or fade their original colour. 

   

• Tumble Dry: A square with a circle means tumble drying is safe; if crossed, avoid it.

   

• Heat-Specific Drying: The dots inside the circle indicate whether low, medium, or high heat can be used.

   

Ironing Symbols and Their Meaning

• Ironing Allowed: A simple iron symbol indicates that the item is safe to iron.

   

• Do Not Iron: A garment with an iron cross means it should not be ironed.

   

• No Steam Ironing: An iron with a line underneath crossed out means avoid steam ironing.

   

Bleaching Symbols and Their Meaning

• Bleaching Allowed: An empty triangle means bleach is safe.

   

• Non-Chlorine Bleach Only: A triangle with diagonal lines means only non-chlorine bleach can be used.

   

• No Bleach: A crossed-out triangle indicates bleach should not be used.

   

Dry Cleaning Symbols and Their Meaning

• Dry Clean: A plain circle means dry cleaning is safe.

   

• Do Not Dry Clean: A circle with a cross means dry cleaning isn’t suitable.

   

• Alphabetical Codes: A, F, and P inside circles indicate which solvents can be used. The circle symbol with a capital 'C' enclosed within it suggests that the dry cleaner can use any solvent during the cleaning process. When you see a circle with the letter "F" inside, it means the garment can be cleaned with any dry-cleaning solvent except trichloroethylene. 

   

A circle containing the letter "P" directs the dry cleaner to use only petroleum-based solvents in the cleaning process. 

How to Read Laundry Labels Correctly?

Reading fabric care labels becomes simple once we know what to look for. The first tag typically displays the brand, material, and size, while the second tag lists fabric care symbols that indicate how to wash, dry, and iron the garment. By learning what fabric care symbols mean on tags and how to understand laundry icons on clothes tags, you can take proper care of your garments without guesswork.

Tips to Care for Clothes Using Washing Symbols

Caring for clothes gets easier once we know the meaning of washing symbols. Always check clothing care tags before washing. A hand-wash symbol indicates the use of cold water and gentle washing. The 30°C or 40°C machine wash symbols suggest that you should adjust your washing machine settings to prevent shrinkage. If you see “do not tumble dry,” hang the clothes instead of using heat. The iron symbol with dots shows safe ironing temperatures. 

Similarly, bleach and dry-cleaning fabric care labels help you avoid using damaging chemicals. By following these wash care instructions, your clothes will stay fresh and last much longer.