Laundry Care Symbols Explained
Care labels use a standardized set of symbols in five families. Learn the families and you can read almost any label.
Washing (tub symbol)
A tub of water shows whether an item is machine washable. Numbers or dots indicate the maximum water temperature; a hand in the tub means hand-wash only; a crossed-out tub means do not wash.
Bleaching (triangle)
An empty triangle means any bleach is allowed, diagonal lines mean non-chlorine bleach only, and a crossed-out triangle means no bleach of any kind.
Drying (square)
A square with a circle inside covers tumble drying — dots indicate heat level, a crossed-out version means no tumble drying. Other marks inside the square indicate line drying, flat drying, or drip drying.
Ironing (iron symbol)
Dots inside the iron indicate the maximum temperature. A crossed-out iron means do not iron; a crossed-out steam version means iron dry only.
Professional cleaning (circle)
Letters inside a circle are instructions for professional cleaners about which solvents or wet-cleaning processes are safe. A crossed-out circle means do not dry clean.
A full visual reference with symbol illustrations is planned for a future update. In the meantime, when a care label symbol conflicts with general advice — including ours — the label wins.