How To Read Laundry Symbols

When it comes to laundry care, those tiny symbols on your clothing labels are packed with information on how to wash, dry, and treat your clothes properly. Understanding these symbols can help prevent damage, shrinkage, or fading, keeping your clothes looking their best. 

Whether you’re new to laundry or just need a quick reference, this guide breaks down the essentials so you can confidently tackle your laundry, every time.
Plus, you can download or print a chart to refer to when you need a refresher! 

Wash Type

The wash type symbols often resemble a washing machine and tell you if machine washing, hand washing, or if professional cleaning is recommended. Here’s a breakdown:

• Machine Wash: If you see this symbol, the garment is safe for a regular wash cycle. Sometimes, these symbols may specify the need for different cycles or water temperatures.
• Hand Wash Symbol: A symbol that looks like a hand in water means the item should be hand-washed only. This prevents damage to delicate fabrics that may not hold up well in a washing machine.
• Do Not Wash / Dry Clean: These symbols mean dry cleaning is recommended over a regular wash. Look out for these, especially on formal and delicate items.
• Do Not Dry Clean: This symbol usually means you should hand wash or use the gentlest cycle on your washing machine. 

Water Temperature

Water temperature affects fabric care significantly, and the number of dots on the washing symbol (often located within a washing machine icon) indicates the recommended temperature in degrees Celsius:

• One Dot: Cold water – 30°C/85°F — for delicate fabrics.
• Two Dots: Warm water – 40°C/105°F — for items that need a bit more warmth but are still somewhat delicate.
• Three Dots: Hot water – 50-60°C/120-140°F — for heavy-duty fabrics like towels and linens.

Wash Cycles

Wash cycles are equally important, as they control the machine’s speed and intensity during the wash. Here are some common cycles:

• Normal Cycle: Use this for durable items that can withstand a regular wash.
• Permanent Press Cycle: Often marked by a line under the washing symbol, this cycle uses medium heat and a shorter spin cycle to reduce wrinkles.
• Gentle Cycle: Ideal for delicate items, the gentle cycle uses a slower spin and less agitation to prevent damage.

Dry Type

Drying symbols may indicate methods for drying without the use of a tumble dryer, which is useful for clothes that could shrink or lose shape:

• Line Drying: Represented by a symbol with vertical lines, line drying is best for items that could shrink in a tumble dryer.
• Flat Drying: If you see a symbol with a horizontal line, this means to lay the garment flat to dry, ideal for sweaters and items that could stretch.
• Drip Drying: Diagonal lines inside the drying symbol indicate that clothes should be hung without wringing out excess water to avoid damage.

Tumble Dryer Instructions

The tumble dry symbol is a square with a circle inside, sometimes accompanied by dots that show recommended temperature levels. Here’s what each means:

• One Dot: Low heat, for delicate items.
• Two Dots: Medium heat, suitable for most fabrics.
• Three Dots: High heat, which should only be used for tough fabrics.
• Filled Circle: No heat, air dry.

Bleaching Symbols

Bleach can help remove stains, but not every fabric can handle it. Bleaching symbols are often a triangle shape, with variations to indicate the type:

• Empty Triangle: Safe for any bleach, including chlorine bleach.
• Crossed-Out Triangle: No bleach allowed.
• Non-Chlorine Bleach: Represented by diagonal lines inside a triangle, indicating that only oxygen bleach or color-safe bleach is safe for this garment.

Ironing Symbols

An iron symbol lets you know whether ironing is safe and at what temperature. Like washing symbols, the dots indicate heat levels:

• Crossed-Out Iron: Do not iron
• One Dot: Low heat, safe for delicate fabrics.
• Two Dots: Medium heat, suitable for most clothing.
• Three Dots: High heat, for durable fabrics.

Let CD One Price Cleaners Handle the Details

For those times when laundry care symbols seem overwhelming, or when you’re dealing with delicate items, stains, or fabrics that require special care, CD One Price Cleaners is here to help. Our professional dry cleaners and laundry services interpret care labels and handle each garment according to its specific needs. 

From managing complex care instructions to keeping your wardrobe fresh and clean, our team ensures your clothes are always in expert hands. Let us take the guesswork out of laundry and help you keep your clothes looking their best.

With this comprehensive guide, you can decode laundry symbols and care for your clothes with confidence. And when the laundry pile seems a bit too intimidating, CD One Price Cleaners has you covered, ready to deliver fresh, clean clothes handled with expert care.

Click Here to Download a Printable Laundry Symbol Chart!