Short answer: The washtub shows washing (dots mean temperature), the triangle bleach, the square drying, the iron ironing (more dots, hotter) and the circle dry cleaning. A cross through any symbol means don't.
Care labels use five basic symbols, used on clothes sold around the world. Learn these and the rest follows.
Washing: the tub
- Dots show the maximum water temperature: one dot is 30°C, two is 40°C, three is 50°C, four is 60°C.
- One line under the tub means a gentle cycle; two lines mean very gentle, typical for wool.
- A hand in the tub means hand wash only.
- A cross means do not wash; it probably needs dry cleaning.
Bleach: the triangle
- Empty triangle: any bleach is fine.
- Two diagonal lines inside: only non-chlorine, oxygen-based bleach.
- Crossed out: no bleach.
Tip: When in doubt, wash cold. Washing cooler than the label allows almost never causes damage; washing hotter can shrink or fade clothes.
Drying: the square
- A circle inside the square means tumble drying is allowed. One dot is low heat, two dots normal heat. Crossed out means no tumble dryer.
- A vertical line inside the square, or a curve along its top on American labels, means line dry. A horizontal line in the middle means dry flat, common for knitwear that would stretch on a line.
Ironing: the iron
- One dot: low heat, up to about 110°C, for synthetics like nylon and acrylic.
- Two dots: medium, about 150°C, for wool, silk and polyester.
- Three dots: hot, about 200°C, for cotton and linen.
Dry cleaning: the circle
A circle means the item can be professionally dry cleaned. The letter inside tells the cleaner which method to use. Crossed out means don't dry clean.
Questions people ask
Q: What if there is no care label?
A: Wash cold on a gentle cycle, or by hand, and dry in the shade. That is the safe choice for most fabrics.
Q: Why do clothes still shrink at the right temperature?
A: Heat in the dryer causes much of the shrinkage, especially in cotton. Line drying avoids most of it.