Never lose another top to a washing machine or ironing disaster again once you learn the meaning of these little signs
Most people will have had to say a difficult goodbye to a piece of clothing they loved but couldn’t save from a washing mishap. Shrinking, fading and outright damage can usually be avoided if you figure out exactly how to care for garments using the instructions printed inside.
Clothes typically have instructions printed on the labels. But, to keep them small, manufacturers use a series of symbols to get the information across on how to wash, dry and iron them.
But, the issue with that is not everyone understands what they mean. Some are quite obvious, but others are just going to lead to more confusion.
To save resorting to Google every time you need to stick a wash on, it can be handy to start figuring out what some of the symbols actually represent. Some tell you not to set your machine too high, and others will give you plenty of warning if you should put an item anywhere near specific clothes.
With the help of Ariel, we’ve put together a handy guide that will be useful for any laundry novices, or those wanting to brush up on any new symbols they’ve not come across before. They have been split into categories to make things a little bit easier.
Washing Symbols:
This group of symbols helps you decide if your clothing is safe to wash in your machine – as well as which setting and temperature you should use. They look like buckets of water paired with numbers or dots that show the recommended maximum temperature.
Sometimes, it will say 30°C (a cold wash) but this could also be represented on a smaller label as a single dot. Two dots mean no higher than 40°C (warm) and four means a maximum of 60°C (usually only applies to bed linen, towels and underwear).
A single line underneath the bucket means you should pick a synthetic cycle. Two lines mean that you should consider a gentler cycle (which could also be called a wool wash on your machine).
Having a hand in the bucket means you should handwash the item. Some modern washing machines do have a hand wash cycle, though not all will.
Bleaching Symbols:
Some people will swear by adding bleaching agents to their laundry routine to keep white clothes white for longer. But some clothes might end up spoiled if you add this chemical.
Most labels have a triangle-shaped symbol that should let you know what is and isn’t safe to bleach. A plain triangle can handle these chemicals, whilst two lines through the inside means the bleach must be non-chlorine. A crossed-out triangle means you should use any bleach at all.
Drying Symbols:
The next batch of symbols will focus on getting those washed clothes dry and ready to wear again. If you label has a square with a circle inside on it, this means it is suitable for tumble drying.
The basic sign means any heat will do – but dots might appear if you need to take some care with the machine. A single spot means you’ll need to use a low heat, two dots upgrade this to medium heat and three signal that high heta is fine.
If you see a bar below the dryer symbol, then use the ‘Permanent Press’ setting. Two bars mean that you have to use the ‘Delicate’ setting.
Certain clothes, indicated by a crossed-out symbol, cannot be put into the machine at all and should be left to dry naturally on a clothesline or airer. A square with three vertical lines inside represents drip drying, a single horizontal line in the middle indicates flat drying, and a drooping line means hang to dry.
A circle means that the item is suitable for dry cleaning, meaning you can leave it in the hands of a professional. These circles will usually have letters inside to let your dry cleaner know the required solvent process.
Ironing Symbols:
Ironing is often the last step in the laundry process but could just as easily be where your clothes get ruined if you get it wrong.
Most labels have an obvious iron symbol alongside dots or numbers representing the maximum temperature you should use. It would be well worth sorting your ironing into piles by these symbols to avoid accidentally burning a hole in something delicate.
A single dot means it cannot get hotter than 110°C, two dots bring the maximum to 150°C. Three dot items can handle heat up to 200°C.
If you see a cross over the symbol, the garment isn’t suitable for ironing. A picture with two lines shooting out from the bottom of the iron with a cross over it stands for ‘steaming is not allowed’ – so make sure not to do this when powering through your next batch.
