APPAREL AND TEXTILE CARE SYMBOLS

SYMBOL TYPES

* Remember, the care label is in your garments to help you clean them
safely.

* Follow them and you should end up with good results and if things go
wrong it will be someone else's fault. Ignore them and it's likely to be
your fault if your clothes get ruined.

* The order of the washing symbols have been formalised so that all
countries should now follow the same order and anyone anywhere
should be able to understand the system
 MACHINE WASH SYMBOL

• This symbol solely refers to machine washing.

• Previously the correct temperature for washing has
been indicated by a number inside the tub but now
there will be a series of dots that do the same job.
 MACHINE WASH SYMBOL

gentler treatment

• A bar under the tub signifies a gentler treatment in

the machine.
 MACHINE WASH SYMBOL

Wash at or below 30°C

• A stylized washtub is shown, and the number in the tub
means the maximum wash temperature (degrees
Celsius).
 MACHINE WASH SYMBOL

very gentle handling

• A double bar signifies very gentle handling.

 MACHINE WASH SYMBOL

hand washing

• A hand in the tub signifies that only (gentle) hand

washing (not above 40°C) is allowed.
 MACHINE WASH SYMBOL

may not be washed under normal

• A cross through washtub means that the textile may

not be washed under normal household conditions.
 DRY/CHEMICAL CLEANING SYMBOL

• This is the dry cleaning symbol, but the symbol itself

doesn't tell the full story.
• There should be an additional letter inside the circle,
indicating what type of dry cleaning a garment can be put
through.
• In addition, the bar underneath the symbol gives additional
information.
 DRY/CHEMICAL CLEANING SYMBOL

• A circle identifies the possibilities of professional cleaning.

• A bar under the symbol means clean gently, and two bars
means very gentle cleaning.
 DRY/CHEMICAL CLEANING SYMBOL

Dry clean, Very gentle

Gentle cleaning
hydrocarbon cleaning with
with hydrocarbon
solvent only hydrocarbon
solvents
(HCS) solvents
• The letters P and F in a circle are for the different solvents
used by professional dry cleaners.
 DRY/CHEMICAL CLEANING SYMBOL

Dryclean,
Gentle cleaning Very gentle
tetrachloroethylen
with PCE cleaning with PCE
e (PCE) only

• The letters P and F in a circle are for the different solvents

used by professional dry cleaners.
 DRY/CHEMICAL CLEANING SYMBOL

Do not dry clean

• A cross symbol means do not dry-clean, Polyolefins.

• Items with special finishes or additions
 BLEACHING SYMBOL

• An empty triangle (formerly lettered Cl) allows the

bleaching with chlorine or non-chlorine bleach.
• Two oblique lines in the triangle prohibit chlorine
bleaching.
• A crossed triangle prohibits any bleaching.
 BLEACHING SYMBOL

• Non-chlorine bleach only

• Some wools & silks, Bleaching with chlorine
anything OK with chlorine allowed (obsolete)
bleach.
 BLEACHING SYMBOL

• Do not bleach
Do not bleach
• Wool, silk.
 TUMBLE DRYING SYMBOL

• A circle in the square symbolizes a dryer.

• One dot requires drying at reduced temperature and two
dots for normal temperature.
• The crossed symbol means that the clothing does not
tolerate machine drying. In the U.S. and Japan, there are
other icons for natural drying.
 TUMBLE DRYING SYMBOL

Tumble drying Tumble drying

Do not tumble dry
(low temperature) (normal)
NATURAL DRYING SYMBOL
 NATURAL DRYING SYMBOL

Dry in the
Line dry Dry flat Drip dry
shade
 NATURAL DRYING SYMBOL

Line dry in the

Dry flat in shade Drip dry in shade
shade
 IRONING SYMBOL

• The ironing symbol lets you know that you can iron a
garment or fabric.
• However the dots let you know what temperature you can
iron at.
 IRONING SYMBOL

Iron at
Iron at low Iron at high
medium Do not iron
temperature temperature
temperature

• The iron with up to three dots allows for ironing.

• The number of dots are assigned temperatures: One point means
110°C, two points means 150°C and three points means 200°C.
• An iron with a cross prohibits ironing.
 WET CLEANING SYMBOL

• The letter W in a circle is for professional wet cleaning.

 WET CLEANING SYMBOL

Professional wet
Gentle wet Very gentle wet
cleaning is not
cleaning cleaning
allowed
SYMBOL TYPES

1. Washing Symbols

2. Bleaching Symbols

3. Drying Symbols

4. Ironing/Pressing Symbols

5. Temperature of Water
(dry-cleaning) Symbols