Laundry Symbols Explained

A plain tub means safe to machine wash normally. A number inside gives the maximum temperature in Celsius, and lines underneath mean gentler cycles, one line for permanent press, two for delicate. A hand in the tub means hand wash only, and an X through it means don't wash at all, likely dry clean only.

A square with a circle is the dryer symbol; dots inside tell you heat level, one for low, two for medium, three for high. An X means skip the dryer and air dry. A horizontal line inside a square means lay flat to dry, a vertical line means hang to dry, and multiple lines mean drip dry without wringing.

Dots again indicate heat: one for low, two for medium, three for hot. An X through the iron means don't iron that fabric at all, and a crossed-out steam symbol means skip steam settings.

An empty triangle means any bleach is fine, diagonal lines mean non-chlorine bleach only, and a crossed-out triangle means no bleach at all.

A plain circle means the item can be dry cleaned, with letters inside mainly for professionals to know which chemicals to use. A circle with an X means avoid dry cleaning entirely.

Learning these symbols takes a minute but pays off with fewer wrinkles, no shrinking disasters, and longer-lasting clothes.