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The Ultimate Guide to Washing Machine Symbols
Our guide will help you get great results with every wash and keep your clothes looking their best for longer.
If you’ve ever found the laundry care labels on your clothes a bit confusing, you are definitely not alone! We all know that those little icons give important information on caring for your clothes and other laundry- the last thing we all want to do is damage them - but those symbols can be like trying to read hieroglyphics!
This guide will break down all the key washing symbols you’re likely to come across, and what to do if you find the dreaded ‘no tumble dry’ symbol, as well as what the ironing and other care icons all mean in a clear and practical way.
If you misread or misunderstand some of the symbols on your clothing labels, it can sometimes cause permanent damage to the fabric, like:
- Not understanding the temperature icons: Washing or drying at the wrong temperature can cause colour fade or even shrinkage.
- Using a tumble dryer when you shouldn't: Ignoring the no tumble dry symbol often leads to more shrinkage and warped elastic.
- Ironing too hot: Using the wrong temperature setting on your iron can burn synthetics or melt finishes.
See more common laundry mistakes and how to fix them.
Washing machine symbols meanings
Machine wash symbols
The machine wash symbol on its own means that this item is safe to wash using a standard machine cycle using ordinary detergent. There may or may not be a number in the symbol.
If there is a number, such as 30°C, this means that the item should be washed on a cycle that doesn’t exceed that maximum water temperature i.e. 30°C.
If there is no number, this means that a standard cycle is fine.
While many fabric labels will use the actual temps as shown above, some may instead use a dot system to signify different maximum water temperatures.
For example, one dot means a max temp of 30°C, two means 40°C, all the way up to six dots for a maximum temperature of 95°C.
If there is a line under the machine wash symbol, this means ‘permanent press’. This refers to a fabric that has been treated to minimise creases, so it needs a different kind of cycle to help preserve that treatment. It needs a mild cycle with warm water, a cold rinse and less agitation than a normal cycle.
If there are two lines underneath the washing machine symbol, it means that the fabric is delicate and needs the most gentle cycle to help prevent damage while being laundered.
Hand wash symbol
Some delicate fabrics cannot be machine-washed at all, and should be washed by hand instead.
Here’s what to do: get a bowl or bucket of lukewarm water mixed with a mild detergent to first soak the fabric for up to half an hour, then swish the fabric gently in the solution, avoiding any twisting motions as this can cause stretching.
You can then empty the water and refill with clean lukewarm water for rinsing. If you want to use fabric softener, you can add some to the water and leave the fabric to soak, gently stirring a few times. You will then need to do another rinse with more clean water until the water remains clear.
It’s likely that you’ll have to dry your clothes on a line outside or on a clothes drying rack indoors.
Do not wash symbol
The do not wash symbol means that the fabric is not suitable to be washed with water at all, either in a machine or by hand.
It should be professionally dry cleaned instead.
Bleaching laundry symbols
Triangle-shaped symbols refer to how the fabric should be treated (or not) with bleach.
- A simple triangle means that the fabric can be used with a standard bleach product.
- The cross over the triangle indicates that bleach should NEVER be used when cleaning this fabric
- The triangle with diagonal lines means that only colour-safe bleach which doesn’t contain chlorine should be used.
Note: If you’re going to use bleach and want to avoid damaging your clothes - ensure it’s specifically for use on clothes and not cleaning bleach.
The meaning of tumble dry symbols
Drying instruction symbols are squares, and if it has a circle inside, it’s about tumble dryers.
A blank square and circle means that you can use any normal tumble dryer setting at any standard temperature.
If the circle contains dots, this means that a specific heat setting should be used.
Low heat for one dot
If the circle contains dots, this means that a specific heat setting should be used.
Medium heat for two dots
If the circle contains dots, this means that a specific heat setting should be used.
High heat for three dots.
A filled circle means that there should be no heat used if this fabric is tumble dried.
As with washing machine symbols, lines underneath mean:
One line stands for permanent press, so to preserve the crease-free treatment that the fabric has been given, a medium heat cycle can be used
Two lines mean delicate, so a gentle or delicate cycle should be used, which has low heat and less vigorous tumbling to help protect the fabric from shrinking or warping.
The cross through the symbol means you should not tumble dry - it could shrink and damage the item if you do.
Many machines have cycles specifically for permanent press items, which have a special cool-down period at the end to minimise new creases settling into the fabric.
How to dry clothes with a no tumble dry symbol?
Some clothes or fabric have other drying instructions on the label, especially if a tumble dryer should NOT be used.
A blank square means that you should dry this fabric naturally, rather than using a tumble dryer.
A line in the middle means that the item should be dried flat to prevent it changing shape as it dries.
Diagonal lines in the corner mean that this fabric could be sensitive to direct sunlight so should be dried in the shade only.
A curved line at the top means that the fabric can be hung on the washing line to dry.
Three vertical lines means that the item should be drip dried from soaking wet, so it should not be twisted or wrung out first. Drip drying can be done on a washing line or indoors (just be sure to prepare for the excess water dripping on the floor).
The ‘do not wring’ symbol simply means that excess water should not be removed by wringing before drying naturally as this can damage some kinds of fabric.
Dry cleaning care symbols
For clothes that are too delicate for washing machines or hand washing, they can be cleaned without using water by a professional dry cleaning service, which uses a specialist chemical solution to remove dirt and stains instead.
Dry cleaning symbols on fabric or clothing care labels are circles.
A plain circle means that a standard dry cleaning process can be used on this fabric.
A circle with a cross means that this item should not be dry cleaned at all.
There may be other dry cleaning symbols too, but these are giving specific instructions to whoever is dry cleaning the items, so aren’t as important for you to know. For example:
- Circles with letters inside mean that a specific type of solvent should be used by the dry cleaner.
- Circles with short lines on the bottom corners mean that the item should be dry cleaned on a short cycle (left corner) or with low heat (right corner).
Ironing clothing care symbol meanings
If the label has a symbol that looks like an iron, this tells you what you need to know before ironing your laundry.
A plain iron symbol means that the fabric can be ironed at any temperature and with or without steam.
A cross over the iron symbols means that this item isn’t suitable to be ironed at all.
A cross underneath the iron means that it can be ironed but not when using steam. Steam irons come with the ability to turn off the steam function, so you can use it as a ‘dry iron’ instead when needed.
An iron symbol with one dot means that the fabric needs a cool iron with no steam and a maximum temperature of around 100℃.
Two dots means a medium temperature of around 150℃. Steam can be used unless otherwise indicated by the no steam symbol.
Three dots means a maximum temperature of 200℃. Steam can be used unless otherwise indicated by the no steam symbol.
Taking a few seconds to check individual labels on your next laundry day (as well as remembering to empty every pocket) can make all the difference to your wardrobe and your wallet. Your clothes will thank you!
Download the full laundry symbols graphic and stick it by your washing machine to help bring an end to shrinking your jumpers, fading your tees or ruining your delicates. See more top laundry tips.
