Reading time: 10 minutes
Everybody has experienced it at least once – pulling out a favourite item of clothing from the washing machine only to find that it is now shrunken, saggy, discoloured, or damaged! It is at this point you wish you had paid more attention to the washing symbols on the care label. Here, we will explain the most common washing instruction symbols on wash care labels.
The hand wash symbol is often found on the care labels of delicate materials. Instead of putting these garments in the washing machine, wash them in a sink or small tub, using your hands. Check your detergent to make sure it is suitable for hand-washing. Just remember to read the product’s label before using.
Wash Symbols: Basic Washing Guidelines on Care Labels
Depicted as a bucket filled with water, the Wash Symbol tells you what temperature or machine setting you should use to wash the item of clothing.
Inside the ‘Normal Wash’ symbol, there will either be a temperature value or 1 to 6 dots that signifying temperature ranges.
One Dot = 30oC
Two Dots = 40oC
Three Dots = 50oC
Four Dots = 60oC
Five Dots = 70oC
Six Dots = 95oC
The Permanent Press symbol has one line beneath the standard wash symbol. Permanent Press fabrics have been treated with chemicals to ensure they resist wrinkles and retain their original shape. If a piece of clothing is permanent press, it usually means that you shouldn’t iron it.
The Gentle Cycle symbol has two lines beneath the standard wash symbol. The gentle cycle is for delicate fibres like wool or silk, or for items of clothing that could be damaged by a vigorous washing (like sequined tops, tights, or lycra).
The Hand Wash symbol is the standard wash symbol with a hand at the top. For ‘Hand Wash’ clothing, do not use a washing machine. Instead wash garments in a sink or small tub, using your hands to ensure that the cleaning liquid is thoroughly rubbed into the material and subsequently rinsed out. Check your cleaning liquid to make sure it is suitable for hand-washing – milder detergents have been specifically designed for hand wash use, and they are safe for your clothes and for your hands!
The Do Not Wash symbol is the standard wash symbol with a cross through it. If the label instructs you not to wash the item, it will have to be dry cleaned after it gets dirty – see the section on Dry Cleaning Symbols below.
Bleaching Guidelines on Clothing Labels
The next symbol on the clothes label is a triangle that refers to whether specific bleaching conditions are required for the item.
A triangle without anything in the middle means that any kind of bleach can be used on the clothing when needed.
A triangle filled with diagonal lines means that only non-chlorine bleaches should be used. Check the ingredients on your bleach to see if it contains chlorine.
A solid black triangle with crossed lines means ‘do not bleach’ – you should not attempt to use any kind of bleach on this garment.
Drying Guidelines on Clothing Labels
The basic tumble dryer symbol is a square with a circle in the middle of it.
As with the symbols for washing clothes, the number of dots inside the circle will tell you the heat setting you should put your tumble dryer on to, as well as any specific program settings required. Three dots mean Tumble Dry High.
Two dots means Tumble Dry Medium.
One dot means Tumble Dry Low.
When an item is marked as ‘do not tumble dry’ with a cross through the drying symbol, leave this garment to drip-dry on a drying rack, in an airing cupboard, or outside on your washing line rather than putting it in the dryer.
Again, a single line below the dryer symbol means that a Permanent Press setting should be used.
Double lines indicate that the Delicate setting must be used.
Ironing Guidelines on Garment Labels
To make life easy, the ironing symbol is shaped like an old-fashioned iron.
Ironing symbols also employ the same dot system for heat levels, which should be adjustable on your iron: three dots mean that the item can be ironed on high.
Two dots mean that it can be ironed on medium.
One dot means that it can be ironed on low.
Dry Cleaning Guidelines on Garment Labels
The dry cleaning symbol is a circle.
For clothes that are dry clean only, the circle has a letter ‘P’ inside it.
The clothes that should be dry-cleaned under normal conditions will have a letter ‘F’ inside the circle.
A crossed-out circle means that you should not dry-clean the item:
And there you have it! Your favourite top will never be shrunk in the washing machine again, now that you understand these wash symbols on the clothing labels!
It’s easy to read the wash care symbols on your clothes and still not know how to wash them properly! However, if you familiarise yourself with these explanations for what each little symbol means, future washes will be a breeze!