🧼 Ever wondered what all those tiny washing symbols on your clothes really mean? That little triangle or bowl might be the reason your favorite sweater shrunk 😩 From washing and bleaching to drying and ironing, here’s your ultimate cheat sheet to never ruining your clothes again! 🧺✨ Full guide in this article 👇💡
We all notice the little symbols on clothing tags, but not everyone knows what they actually mean. Let’s take a closer look and figure out what these signs are telling us.
Washing
Let’s begin with the washing symbols:
A bowl of water: You can wash this item in a regular washing machine with no special care.
A bowl with one line under it: Machine washing is okay, but use a gentle cycle—no strong spinning or twisting.
A bowl with two lines underneath: Use only the most delicate setting. Wash at 30°C with lots of water and slow drum movement.
A bowl with a number inside: The number shows the hottest temperature allowed.
A bowl with a hand inside: This item should be hand washed only.
A crossed-out bowl: Do not wash at home—only special cleaning is allowed, and the label should include further guidelines.
Stain Removal and Bleaching
Here are the symbols related to using bleach:
A plain triangle: You can bleach this item safely.
A triangle with “CL” inside: It’s safe to use bleach with chlorine.
A triangle with diagonal lines: Use only non-chlorine bleach.
A crossed-out triangle: Bleaching is completely prohibited.
Dry Cleaning
You may also find dry cleaning symbols on tags:
A plain circle: The item is strictly for dry cleaning.
A circle with an “A”: All dry cleaning solvents are safe to use.
A circle with an “R”: Only certain chemicals are allowed—no trichloroethylene.
A circle with an “R” and a line under it: Same as above, but the cleaning must be done gently.
A circle with an “F”: Use only mild cleaning products like hydrocarbon-based solutions.
A circle with a “W”: The item can go through a wet cleaning process.
A crossed-out circle: Do not dry clean at all.
Drying
Here are the signs that tell you how to dry your clothes:
A square with an arch at the top: Hang the item to dry.
A square with two vertical lines: Let it dry vertically.
A square with three vertical lines: Hang to dry vertically, avoiding spinning or wringing out the water.
A square with one horizontal line: Lay the item flat to air dry.
A square with two horizontal lines: Dry flat, ensuring it is spread out evenly.
A square with diagonal lines in the corner: Dry in a shaded area—keep it out of direct sunlight.
Sometimes symbols are combined. For example, a square with one vertical line and a diagonal line means to dry vertically in the shade.
Ironing
Lastly, here are the symbols that explain how to iron your clothes:
A simple iron shape: Ironing is allowed at any temperature.
An iron with dots:
1 dot = Low heat (max 110°C)
2 dots = Medium heat (up to 180°C)
3 dots = High heat (up to 200°C)
An iron with a crossed-out steam symbol or water basin: Do not use steam.
A fully crossed-out iron: Do not iron at all.
