Every Laundry Symbol Decoded: the 25 You See
Five symbols, endless variations, one ruined cashmere jumper
The tub, triangle, square, iron, and circle: five base shapes cover every instruction on every care label worldwide. The ISO 3758 standard (adopted by GINETEX, the international textile care labelling group) requires them to appear in that exact order on every label. An X through any shape means "do not". Dots and lines inside each shape are the modifiers. Two things trip people up most: confusing the US dot-temperature system with the European Celsius number system, and not knowing that a crossed-out tub does NOT mean hand-wash only. It means do not wash at all.
Group 1: the washtub (washing)
The washtub shows water. The number or dots inside give the maximum temperature. Lines underneath change the spin speed. Together these three variables cover every machine-wash instruction. Temperature works differently depending on the label's origin. European labels print the actual Celsius number inside the tub (30, 40, 60, 95). North American labels use dots: one dot is cold (up to 30 C / 85 F), two dots warm (up to 40 C / 105 F), four dots hot (up to 60 C / 140 F). A filled tub with no number and no dots means any temperature is safe.
Tub, no modifier
Any temperature, normal cycle. Safe for most cottons and linens.
Tub, 30 C or 1 dot
Cold wash. Use for darks, delicates, lightly soiled items.
Tub, 40 C or 2 dots
Warm wash. The most common instruction; everyday mixed loads.
Tub, 60 C or 4 dots
Hot wash. Towels, bed linen, whites with visible soiling.
Tub, 95 C
Sanitary/boil wash. Only cotton whites and heavily soiled work wear.
Tub with a hand
Hand wash only. Maximum 40 C, gentle agitation.
Crossed-out tub
Do NOT wash in water. Dry clean only or wipe clean.
Tub, 1 bar underneath
Permanent press. Reduced spin.
Tub, 2 bars underneath
Gentle or delicate cycle. Very low agitation and spin.
A crossed-out tub is not "hand wash instead." It means no water contact at all. Putting a crossed-out-tub garment in the sink is how cashmere felts and embellished fabrics dissolve.
Group 2: the triangle (bleaching)
The triangle is the least-read symbol on most labels, and also the one most likely to cause permanent damage. Chlorine bleach on colour-fast garments strips dye and weakens fibres.
Empty triangle
Any bleach permitted (chlorine or oxygen).
Triangle with two diagonal lines (CL crossed)
Non-chlorine (oxygen/color-safe) bleach only.
Crossed-out triangle
Do NOT bleach. No chlorine, no oxygen bleach, nothing.
Group 3: the square (drying)
The square covers both tumble drying and natural drying. A circle inside the square means tumble drier. Lines inside the square (without a circle) mean air dry, and their orientation specifies how. Tumble-dry dots match the washing-tub logic: more dots, more heat. One dot is low heat (ideal for synthetics and wool-blend fabrics that shrink easily). Two dots is medium (most cottons and blends). A filled black circle inside the square means tumble dry on no heat (air fluff only), which is useful for items that need fluffing but cannot tolerate heat.
Square with circle, 1 dot
Tumble dry low heat. Synthetics, delicates, anything prone to shrink.
Square with circle, 2 dots
Tumble dry medium. Safe for most cottons and poly-cotton blends.
Square with circle, 3 dots
Tumble dry high heat. Heavy cottons, towels, jeans.
Square with filled black circle
Tumble dry, no heat (air fluff). Good for pillows and down items.
Square with crossed-out circle
Do NOT tumble dry. Air dry instead using one of the methods below.
Square with single horizontal line
Dry flat. Lay garment out on a towel; do not hang (stretches knits).
Square with three vertical lines
Drip dry. Hang wet, no wringing.
Square with curved line at top
Line dry. Standard clothes line or hanger.
Square in shadow (darker border)
Dry in shade. UV light will fade this fabric.
Group 4: the iron (ironing)
Dots on the iron face mean the same thing they do on the washing tub: more dots, more heat. The key addition is the steam prohibition: a crossed iron sole means no steam, not no ironing. Most modern steam irons reach around 200 C on their highest setting. Applying that to acetate or nylon at one dot (110 C maximum) will melt the fabric. The one-dot instruction is common on synthetics and blended fabrics that look perfectly durable but are heat-sensitive.
Iron, 1 dot
Low heat, up to 110 C. Synthetics: nylon, acrylic, acetate.
Iron, 2 dots
Medium heat, up to 150 C. Polyester, silk, wool.
Iron, 3 dots
High heat, up to 200 C. Cotton and linen.
Crossed-out iron
Do not iron. Usually applies to pleated or embellished items.
Iron with crossed steam lines
Iron only without steam. Steam can cause water marks or shrinkage.
The two-dot iron covers the widest range of everyday fabrics. When a label is missing or worn, a two-dot setting is the safest default for anything that is not clearly cotton or clearly synthetic.
Group 5: the circle (professional care)
The circle on its own means professional cleaning. A letter inside the circle tells the dry cleaner which solvent is safe to use. These codes matter to the cleaner, not the consumer, but knowing them helps when you hand over a garment and want to specify what you need.
P in circle
Dry clean with any solvent except trichloroethylene. The most common code.
F in circle
Dry clean with petroleum-based solvents only (hydrocarbons).
W in circle
Wet clean. Professional aqueous cleaning. Not standard dry cleaning.
Crossed-out circle
Do not dry clean. Usually combined with a crossed-out tub (wipe clean only).
The one combination that matters most
If a label shows a tub with a 40 C or two-dot, a plain triangle, a square with a circle and two dots, and a two-dot iron, that garment will survive a normal 40-degree cotton cycle, tumble on medium, and a medium iron. That combination covers the majority of everyday clothes bought in Europe and North America. The two combinations that cause most damage: a crossed-out tub being put in a 30-degree cycle anyway, and a one-dot iron being pressed at cotton-high. Both result in permanent damage no amount of re-washing will fix.
US and EU labels look different but mean the same thing. A European shirt reading "40" inside the tub and a US shirt showing two dots inside the tub both mean: wash warm, up to 40 C or 105 F. The standard behind both is ISO 3758. On a US label the FTC requires the care instruction in plain English as well as (or instead of) symbols, so you may see both.