How to Decode Laundry Symbols

Some laundry symbols have evolved into a series of incomprehensible shapes, dots, lines, and letters, all telling us something important about how to care for our clothing. We need to be able to decipher these coded instructions if our garments are to last as long as possible.

Laundry symbols, or pictograms, are divided into five basic categories:

1. Washing
2. Bleaching
3. Drying
4. Ironing
5. Professional textile care

Believe it or not, associations exist that oversee the standardization of care labels and their symbols.  In the United States the care symbols were developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Care Labeling Rule. 

In Europe it’s GINETEX, which was first founded in Paris in 1963. Twenty-two countries use the GINETEX standard, and their care tag symbols are trademarked in most of those countries.

The GINETEX and ASTM symbols aren’t identical, and for clothing exported to the United States both sets of symbols can appear on the same care label.

Care labels tell you the maximum your clothes can tolerate before damage occurs. You’re always free to use lower washing temperatures and hang clothes to dry instead of using a dryer. 

In addition to following label instructions, check the water temperatures in your washing machine to ensure they match the ones on the care labels. Actual water temperatures in the home are determined by washing machine settings (hot, warm, cold), regional water supply temperatures, water heater settings, and regulations governing these conditions.

Common Laundry Symbol Meanings

In general, laundry symbols follow a basic pattern:

• Laundry symbols are required by the FTC to be displayed in a logical sequence on the label regarding washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry-cleaning.
• An open, simple symbol usually means “normal” (e.g. normal wash cycle, dry cycle, ironing).
• An X through the symbol means “do not”.
• Dots typically indicate temperature. The more dots, the hotter the temperature.
• Washing symbols may have only a Celsius temperature number inside, a number with dots, or just dots.
• No symbols are needed for bleach if any type can be used, or for ironing if the items aren’t normally ironed. If an item can be washed and dry-cleaned, the label needs only one of these instructions.

Wash Symbols

From left to right:

1. Machine wash, normal cycle. Use the hottest available water, detergent or soap, agitation.
2. Machine wash, cold. Water temperature not to exceed 30°C, or 65° to 85°F.
3. Machine wash, warm. Water temperature not to exceed 40°C or 105°F.
4. Machine wash, hot. Water temperature not to exceed 50°C or 120°F.
5. Machine wash, hot. Water temperature not to exceed 60°C or 140°F.
6. Machine wash, hot. Water temperature not to exceed 70°C or 160°F.
7. Machine wash, hot. Water temperature not to exceed 95°C or 200°F.
8. Machine wash, permanent press. Cool down or cold rinse prior to reduced spin.
9. Machine wash, gentle or delicate. Gentle agitation and/or reduced time for delicate items.
10. Hand wash. Use water, detergent or soap, and gentle hand manipulation.
11. Do not wash. Normally accompanied by dry-cleaning instructions.

Bleach Symbols

From left to right:

1. Bleach when needed. Use any commercial bleach product.
2. Non-chlorine bleach when needed. Use only a non-chlorine, color-safe bleach.
3. Do not bleach. No bleach product can be used. Garment is not colorfast or structurally able to withstand any bleach.

Drying Symbols

From left to right:

1. Tumble dry, normal. Used regularly at the hottest available temperature setting.
2. Tumble dry, normal, low heat.
3. Tumble dry, normal, medium heat.
4. Tumble dry, normal, high heat.
5. Tumble dry, normal, no heat or air only.
6. Tumble dry, permanent press.
7. Tumble dry, gentle.
8. Do not tumble dry. Machine dryer may not be used.
9. Do not dry. Machine dryer may not be used. Usually accompanied by an alternate drying method symbol.
10. Line dry. Hang damp garment from a line or bar, inside or outdoors.
11. Drip dry. Hang dripping wet garment from line or bar, inside or outdoors, without hand shaping or smoothing.
12. Dry flat. Lay out horizontally for drying.
13. Dry in shade. Usually added to line, drip dry, or dry flat instructions.

Wringing Symbols

From left to right:

1. Do not wring.
2. Wring.

Ironing Symbols

From left to right:

1. Iron, any temperature, steam or dry.
2. Iron, low. Regular ironing, steam or dry, at low setting (110°C, 230°F) only.
3. Iron, medium. Regular ironing, steam or dry, at medium setting (150°C, 300°F).
4. Iron, high. Regular ironing, steam or dry, high setting (200°C, 390°F).
5. Do not steam.
6. Do not iron.

Dry-Cleaning Symbols

From left to right:

1. Dry-clean. Any solvent, any cycle, any moisture, any heat.
2. Dry-clean, any solvent. Usually used with other restrictions.
3. Dry-clean, petroleum solvent only. Usually used with other restrictions.
4. Dry-clean, any solvent except trichloroethylene. 
5. Dry-clean, short cycle. May be used with A, P, or F solvent restriction.
6. Dry-clean, reduced moisture. May be used with A, P, or F solvent restriction.
7. Dry-clean, low heat. May be used with A, P, or F solvent restriction.
8. Dry-clean, no steam. May be used with A, P, or F solvent restriction.
9. Do not dry-clean.

Wet Cleaning Symbols

From Left to right:

1. Wet-clean, normal.
2. Wet-clean, delicate.
3. Wet-clean, very delicate.
4. Do not wet-clean.

Updated Symbols

In 2018 the ASTM issued a revised standard guide that includes symbols and wording for additional care processes that are not covered by the earlier guide. The revised version may be used if symbols are used in addition to full care instructions written in English. The older version must be used when symbols without words are used on a care label.

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