Fit, care and budget
How to read clothing care labels
By sneakersInn team · Updated
Clothing care labels use five basic symbols: a washtub for washing, a triangle for bleaching, a square for drying, an iron for ironing and a circle for professional cleaning. A cross through any symbol means "don't". Dots show temperature (more dots, more heat) and lines underneath mean a gentler cycle. These symbols follow an international standard, ISO 3758 (Laundry symbol on Wikipedia).
| Symbol | Means | Variations |
|---|---|---|
| Washtub | Machine or hand wash | Number or dots show max °C; a hand in the tub means hand wash; one line = gentle, two = very gentle |
| Triangle | Bleach | Plain = any bleach; two diagonal lines = non-chlorine only; crossed = no bleach |
| Square | Drying | Circle inside = tumble dry; lines inside = line or flat dry |
| Iron | Ironing | One dot = low, two = medium, three = high |
| Circle | Professional cleaning | Letters tell the cleaner which method; crossed = don't dry clean |
What do the washtub numbers and dots mean?
| Mark | Max temperature |
|---|---|
| 30 or one dot | 30°C, cool |
| 40 or two dots | 40°C, warm |
| 60 or four dots | 60°C, hot |
When in doubt, wash cooler. It's gentler on fabric and colour. See clothing care 101.
What do the iron dots mean?
| Dots | Heat | For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low, about 110°C | Synthetics, silk |
| 2 | Medium, about 150°C | Wool, polyester blends |
| 3 | High, about 200°C | Cotton, linen |
See how to iron a shirt in 5 minutes.
What does "dry flat" look like?
A square with one horizontal line in the middle. It's common on knitwear, which stretches if hung wet. See how to wash and store knitwear.
Should I always follow the label?
Labels are cautious, so following them is safe. Washing cooler or more gently than the label is fine; hotter or rougher is the risk.
Questions
What if a label is missing?
Wash cool, dry in the shade, iron on low and test on a hidden area.
Should I cut labels out?
Photograph them first. Many people keep a photo of each care label on their phone.