What do clothing tag symbols mean

Short cycle. Reduced moisture. Low heat. No steam finishing. If the symbols found on the fabric labels of your clothes still confuse you, here's a quick video guide on how to read them! How to wash and care for silk clothes. How to wash down coats and bedding. How to remove tough stains. For a better experience on Ariel. UK - English. Contact Us.

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About us Our vision Tough Mudder Challenge. View all stories. Print this. Recommended times Recommend this. Thank you for visiting Ariel. Get the best out of your laundry, with a little help from Tide, and if you need more detailed information, visit our comprehensive guide on how to do laundry.

Ever seen white residues on your clothes after washing and thought How to Read Laundry Symbols. Washing Symbols Getting the temperature and wash cycle right is important for seeing great laundry results, and can even prevent damage to your clothes. Washing cycle symbols. Washing temperature symbols. Washing machine symbols. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic.

We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Alina Bradford. March 14, p. The wash basin icon The wash basin symbol.

Let's break all of those extras down: If there is a number inside the basin, that is the maximum water temperature in Celsius that you should use to wash the item. A label that says 30 means a water temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, 40 means degrees Fahrenheit, 60 means degrees Fahrenheit and 95 means degrees Fahrenheit.

Dots inside the basin also indicate temperature, with one dot for cold water, two dots for warm water, and three dots for hot water. No lines below the basin means you should wash the item using the normal cycle of your washing machine. One line under the basin means the clothing item needs to be washed on the permanent press cycle.

Two lines means the item should be washed on the gentle cycle. According to Jonathan Walford, the curatorial director at the Fashion History Museum , laundry symbols were being used in Europe as early as the late s.

While there are slight differences between the European and American versions, most laundry icons of garment tags are universal.

The first thing you need to learn is what each symbol means on a laundry symbols chart. The icon that looks like a bucket of water instructs how to wash a garment, the square with a circle in the center instructs how to dry it, and the iron symbol instructs how to iron it.

The remaining laundry tag symbols refer to bleaching triangle , dry-cleaning circle , and non-machine drying square instructions. Getting the water temperature and wash cycle right is essential for clean, fresh-smelling laundry, and can even prevent damage to your clothes.

The washing instruction symbols above tell you how to wash a garment, what temperature to use, and which cycle is needed. Look for dry cleaning symbols represented by a circle or hand wash symbols represented by a tub of water with a hand sign.