Laundry care symbols
Clothes will usually include ‘laundry care’ symbols on the label which can help you select the correct washing cycle. The steps below will give you some general guidance and help you see what most of the symbols mean.
1. Wash
Picture of a bucket with a wavy line to indicate it is full of liquid — Garment can be washed in a normal wash with hot water and detergent
2. Cold Machine Wash
Picture of a bucket with a single dot in the middle — Garment needs a wash no warmer than 30℃
3. Warm Machine Wash
Picture of a bucket with two dots in the middle — Garment needs a wash no warmer than 40℃
4. Hot Machine Wash
Picture of a bucket with three dots in the middle — Garment needs a wash no warmer than 50℃
(more dots represent hotter washes)
5. Permanent Press Machine Wash
Picture of a bucket with a single line underneath — Garment can be washed on the setting with cool down or cold rinse with a slower spin
6. Gentle Machine Wash
Picture of a bucket with two lines underneath — Garment can be washed using a gentle setting or for reduced amount of time
7. Hand Wash
Picture of a bucket with a hand over the opening — Garment should not be machine washed. Wash only by hand with water and detergent
8. Do Not Wash
Picture of a bucket with a cross through it — Garment cannot be washed safely, may require dry cleaning
9. Bleach When Needed
A simple triangle shape unfilled — Any bleach cleaning product can be used in the cleaning process
Always wear protective gloves when working with bleach.
10. Non-Chlorine Bleach Required
Simple triangle shape with two diagonal lines inside — Garment can be washed with non-chlorine products
Always wear protective gloves when working with bleach.
11. Do Not Bleach
A filled in triangle with a cross through it — No bleach cleaning product can be used
12. Tumble Dry
A square box with a circle inside — Garment can be used with regular tumble dryer machine up to highest setting
13. Tumble Dry Low Heat
A square box with a circle inside and a single dot — Garment can be tumble dried on the lowest setting
14. Tumble Dry Medium Heat
A square box with a circle inside and two dots — Garment can be tumble dried up to a medium setting
15. Tumble Dry High Heat
A square box with a circle inside and three dots — Garment can be tumble dried up to highest setting
16. Tumble Dry No Heat
A square box with a circle inside shaded in — Garment can be tumble dried with no heat
17. Tumble Dry Permanent Press
A square box with a circle inside and a line under the box — Garment can be tumble dried but only with permanent press setting
18. Tumble Dry Gentle
A square box with a circle inside and two lines under the box — Garment can be tumble dried on a gentle setting
19. Do Not Tumble Dry
A square box with a circle inside, all crossed out by two lines — Garment cannot be tumble dried
20. Do Not Dry
Square box crossed out by two lines — Garment cannot be machine dried
21. Line Dry
A square box with a small curve inside at the top to denote a fold — Garment can be hung indoors or outdoors
22. Drip Dry
Square box with three vertical lines inside — Garment can be left to drip dry indoors or outdoors
23. Dry Flat
Square box with a single horizontal line in the middle — Garment should be laid flat to dry
24. Dry In Shade
Square box with two diagonal lines in the upper corner — Garment can be hung to dry but must be kept in the shade
25. Do Not Wring
A twisted cloth with a cross through — Garment must not be wrung at any point
26. Iron
A simple outline of an iron — Garment can be ironed on any temperature
27. Iron Low Heat
Simple outline of an iron with a single dot in the middle — Garment can be ironed on a low heat setting
28. Iron Medium Heat
Simple outline of an iron with two dots in the middle — Garment can be ironed on a medium heat setting
29. Iron High Heat
Simple outline of an iron with three dots in the middle — Garment can be ironed on high heat setting
30. Do Not Steam
Simple outline of an iron with two lines beneath which are crossed out — Garment cannot be steam ironed
31. Do Not Iron
Simple outline of an iron crossed out — Garment cannot be ironed
32. Dry Clean
A circle with a blank centre — Garment should be dry cleaned on any setting
33. Dry Clean With Any Solvent
A circle with a capital ‘A’ in the middle — Garment can be dry cleaned with any solvent
34. Dry Clean With Petroleum Solvent
A circle with a capital ‘F’ in the middle — Garment can be dry cleaned with petroleum solvent only
35. Dry Clean With Any Solvent Bar Trichloroethylene
A circle with a capital ‘P’ in the middle — Garment can be cleaned with any solvent except for Trichloroethylene
36. Do Not Dry Clean
A blank circle with a cross through it — Garment cannot be dry cleaned