For years, you’ve been doing laundry, often overlooking the care labels. Have you ever experienced a T-shirt shrinking to a size suitable for your dog? Or a delicate blouse emerging from the wash looking lackluster and fuzzy? It could be beneficial to take a moment to examine those care symbols. The laundry symbols found on clothing labels are designed to assist you. Each circle, triangle, and square conveys a specific message. By mastering the five fundamental symbols, you can elevate your laundry skills to an expert level.
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Is it necessary to adhere to the symbols precisely?
Many clothing producers suggest the safest cleaning techniques to guarantee optimal outcomes for the buyer. For example, certain materials marked for dry cleaning can actually be washed by hand. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the fiber composition of the fabric to make a knowledgeable choice regarding laundry care.
Producers aim to minimize their legal responsibilities as well. Although a product may perform well when cleaned using a more hazardous method, if that method leads to negative outcomes, the buyer may seek a refund and potentially pursue legal action for misleading product representations.
Get to know the laundry symbols below to ensure the proper care of your garments.
Laundry Care Icons
The symbols found on labels of garments and linens offer essential guidance on the proper maintenance of your textiles. These labels were created under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). To facilitate global understanding, symbols were selected instead of text. Although there are some differences between the symbols used in Europe and Asia, the fundamental designs are universally recognized across different continents.
In the United States and several other nations, the government requires care labels to indicate the fiber composition of textiles and to offer guidance on their maintenance.
The global community employs five fundamental icons to represent washing, drying, bleaching, ironing, and dry cleaning. Once you familiarize yourself with these basic shapes, understanding the additional symbols becomes quite straightforward. An x over any symbol indicates Avoid this action!
Understanding Laundry Care Symbols
The shape of the washtub provides guidance on how to wash the item. An x over the tub symbol means the item should not be washed. If the symbol shows a hand in the water, it indicates that the garment should be washed by hand. However, many washing machines now feature a delicate or gentle cycle suitable for hand washables, with a water temperature not exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Only for hand washing.
- Hand wash only: Tub with a hand.
- Silk or cashmere: Opt for handwashing rather than using the delicate cycle to minimize the chances of snagging or shrinking.
- Twisted fabric (resembles a wrapped hard candy): Wringing is acceptable.
- An x marked on the twisted fabric icon: Avoid wringing (opt for gentle squeezing or encase in a thick towel to soak up moisture).
Washing in a machine
- A figure within the washbasin: the temperature of the water in Celsius to be utilized.
- Dots within the washbasin (Temperature range of water): A single dot indicates cold water, two dots signify warm water, and three dots represent hot water.
- Marks beneath the washing machine (during the spin cycle): one for permanent press and two for delicate fabrics.
- No lines beneath the wash basin: All washing machine cycles are acceptable.
Guide to Clothing Bleaching Symbols
Not all garments will display symbols indicating how to bleach them. However, if you come across a triangular symbol, it will guide you in choosing the appropriate bleach type.
- An x placed over a solid-colored triangle: Avoid bleaching.
- Triangle featuring two diagonal lines: Utilize bleach that is either non-chlorine or oxygen-based.
- Transparent triangle: Any variety of bleach is acceptable for use.
A label might not display a triangular symbol, but it could indicate No Chlorine Bleach. In such cases, you can still utilize an oxygen-based bleach, such as Clorox 2, OxiClean, OXO Brite, or Nellie’s Natural Oxygen Brightener. However, it is important to avoid using any bleach on wool, silk, or leather.
Understanding Clothing Drying Symbols
Over-drying is among the most harmful practices for our laundry. Universal drying symbols assist in choosing the appropriate drying cycle and temperature. The square drying symbol indicates the best methods for drying clothes, whether naturally or in a tumble dryer.
Avoid placing in the dryer.
- Drip dry exclusively: Three vertical lines within the square signify that the garments should be hung to air dry.
- Air dry exclusively: A bent line within the square.
- Dry in the shade: Two diagonal lines in the corner of the square indicate that the item should be air-dried in a shaded area, away from direct sunlight.
- Dry flat: A horizontal line positioned in the middle of the square indicates that the item should be dried on a flat surface to avoid any stretching.
Dryer Settings for Tumble Drying
- A circle within a square indicates that tumble drying is permitted. The dots within the circle represent the appropriate heat settings: a single dot for low heat, two dots for medium heat, and three dots for high heat.
- Symbols beneath the square indicate the dryer settings available. No lines mean you can use any tumble dry cycleone line signifies permanent pressand two lines indicate gentle or delicate settings.
- An x marked on the tumble dry icon indicates that tumble drying is not permitted.
Understanding Ironing Symbols on Clothing
Seek out the iron-shaped icon to assist you in choosing the appropriate temperature setting and deciding between a dry iron or a steam option. An x over the steam vent indicates that steam should not be used.
The spots on the iron signify the temperature.
- No restrictions on temperature: You are free to choose any temperature.
- One dot: Setting for low temperatures (silk or wool)
- Two points: Moderate heat setting (for synthetic fabrics)
- Three dots: Setting for high temperatures (for linen or cotton fabrics)
Understanding Symbols for Dry Cleaning Clothes
When you see a small circle on the care label, it indicates that the item should be dry cleaned. Unless you have extensive knowledge about garment care, it’s best to adhere to the dry clean only instruction. If you decide to take the chance of hand-washing a garment that is labeled for dry cleaning only, consider following these essential guidelines to minimize potential damage.
- Wash the garment by hand using cold to lukewarm water, as hot water may lead to shrinkage.
- Opt for a gentle detergent such as Woolite or a dishwashing liquid.
- Apply a few drops of water to a hidden area, such as a spare piece of fabric in the hem, to observe the fabric’s reaction to moisture. Allow it to dry to check for any water stains. If the fabric changes color or becomes wrinkled, it’s best to stop.
- Handle the fabric with care, avoiding vigorous scrubbing or twisting, as these actions can distort the material, lead to pilling, and dislodge embellishments such as beads.
The subsequent symbols related to dry cleaning indicate the cleaning agents and the specific cleaning cycle that the dry cleaner ought to employ.
- A note within the circle: Chemicals that the dry cleaner is able to utilize.
- Count of bars within the circle: Level of attention the dry cleaner needs to apply to the item (more bars indicate greater attention).
- An x placed over the circle indicates that the item should not be dry cleaned.
If you opt for a home dry cleaning kit, you can rest assured about the selection of cleaning agents. These kits come with a versatile stain remover suitable for all types of fabrics.
