π Laundry Symbol Decoder
What does that tag actually say?
Reading Care Labels
Garment tags use five symbol families: a washtub for washing, a triangle for bleaching, a square for drying, an iron for ironing, and a circle for dry cleaning. Dots inside mean temperature (more dots, hotter); bars underneath mean gentler cycles; an X through anything means do not do that. Pick the category and symbol to get the plain-English meaning plus what happens if you ignore it.
The numbers inside washtubs are Celsius: 30 is cold, 40 is warm, 60 is hot. One bar under the tub means permanent press; two bars means delicate or hand wash. In the dryer square, dots again set heat level, and a filled-in square means no heat or air dry.
Symbols Worth Memorizing
The twisted washtub with an X is hand wash only. The triangle with an X means no bleach of any kind, while an empty triangle allows any bleach and a striped triangle allows non-chlorine bleach only. The square with a circle inside is a tumble dryer; the same with an X means line dry. The iron with steam lines crossed out means dry iron only, no steam.
When in Doubt
Wash cold and gentle: it is the safest default for almost everything and it saves energy. New dark garments get their own first wash to protect other clothes from dye. And dry clean only really means it for structured wool, silk, and leather: water can permanently change their shape.
US vs International Labels
Care symbols follow two systems that mostly agree but differ in details. The international ISO system uses dots for temperature (one dot cool, three dots hot), while US ASTM labels often print actual temperatures in Fahrenheit or Celsius. You will see both on clothes sold globally, which is why some tags show dots and numbers together. Temperature conversions worth knowing: 30C is 85F (cold), 40C is 105F (warm), 60C is 140F (hot). Permanent press appears as one bar under the washtub in both systems; the US sometimes adds words like gentle or delicate instead of a second bar. When symbols and words disagree, follow the stricter one: the manufacturer tested the garment, not the symbol printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the washtub symbol mean?
Machine wash. Numbers inside are Celsius (30 cold, 40 warm, 60 hot). One bar underneath means permanent press, two bars means delicate. An X over it means do not wash.
What does the triangle mean on clothes?
Bleaching rules. Empty triangle: any bleach allowed. Striped or crossed triangle: non-chlorine bleach only. Triangle with X: no bleach at all.
What do the dryer symbols mean?
A square with a circle is tumble dry; dots set heat (1 low, 2 medium, 3 high). An X means do not tumble dry. A plain square means line dry.
What does dry clean only really mean?
Take it seriously for structured wool, silk, and leather: water can permanently distort them. For sturdy cotton labeled dry clean, gentle cold wash is often fine, but the maker is not liable.
Can I ignore care labels?
Cold gentle washing is a safe default for most things, but heat is where damage happens: hot dryers shrink cotton and melt synthetics. When a label says no heat, believe it.