Laundry Symbol Decoder

Quick answer: a care label has five symbols. The tub is washing (dots for the temperature, bars for a gentler cycle, a hand for hand washing); the triangle is bleach; the square is drying (a circle inside means the dryer); the iron is ironing (dots for its heat); the circle is dry cleaning. An X means don’t. Tap yours above to read it in words.

How to use it

Look at your label and, for each symbol on it, tap the matching tile: the tub, then what is inside it and under it; the triangle; the square and what is in it; the iron; the circle. Tap a chosen tile again to take it off. The answer reads the label in the order you would follow it, gives each washer and iron setting, and names each symbol as the American Cleaning Institute does, with what the FTC’s rule says it means. Copy the link to keep your label.

The five symbols

the FTC (Federal Register, 1997): “The ASTM and Ginetex systems use the same five basic symbols: a washtub to indicate washing (with a hand in the washtub to indicate hand washing), a triangle to indicate bleaching, a square to indicate drying (and a circle within a square to indicate machine drying), an iron to indicate ironing, and a circle to indicate drycleaning.” In the United States the symbols come from one standard — the FTC: “You may use the care symbols from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) designated as ASTM Standard D5489-96c Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products, in place of words, but the symbols must fulfill the requirements of the Rule.”

Washing temperatures

Dots in the tub are the American way; a number is the international one. the FTC (Federal Register, 1997): “ASTM system allows temperature for wash water to be conveyed by one, two, or three dots; the Centigrade temperature can also be placed in the washtub.” Wikipedia: “In international standards, the number in the tub means the maximum wash temperature (degrees Celsius).” The Fahrenheit for each dot count is the American Cleaning Institute’s chart; the Celsius beside it is our conversion; the washer setting compares it with the FTC rule’s own words: “Cold”—initial water temperature up to 86 degrees F [30 degrees C]. “Warm”—initial water temperature ranging from 87 to 111 degrees F [31 to 44 degrees C]. “Hot”—initial water temperature ranging from 112 to 145 degrees F [45 to 63 degrees C].

One dot does not mean as cold as possible: “ASTM also changed the definition of ‘‘one dot’’ from the definition in the Appendix to the Care Labeling Rule (a maximum of 85 Fahrenheit, with no minimum) to a range from 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.” (the FTC (Federal Register, 1997)).

Every other symbol

Each name is the American Cleaning Institute’s; what the label then tells you follows the FTC rule’s glossary (the FTC Care Labeling Rule). The drawings are ours, after the standard’s shapes.

A symbol that is not on the label says nothing — and the rule says what that allows. On washing: “Machine wash”—a process by which soil may be removed from products or specimens through the use of water, detergent or soap, agitation, and a machine designed for this purpose. When no temperature is given, e.g., “warm” or “cold,” hot water up to 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) can be regularly used. On drying: “Tumble dry”—use machine dryer. When no temperature setting is given, machine drying at a hot setting may be regularly used. On ironing: “Iron”—Ironing is needed. When no temperature is given iron at the highest temperature setting may be regularly used.

Worked examples

• A blouse: machine wash cold · non-chlorine bleach · tumble dry low · cool iron. Machine wash at 80 °F (27 °C) — cold on your washer, delicate or gentle cycle. Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed. Tumble dry, low heat. Iron at a low (cool) setting, about 230 °F (110 °C).
• A wool sweater: hand wash · no bleach · dry flat · no wringing · cool iron · dry clean. Hand wash, gently squeezed — hot water up to 150 °F is allowed when no temperature is given. Do not bleach. Dry flat. Do not wring. Iron at a low (cool) setting, about 230 °F (110 °C). Dry clean, any solvent except trichloroethylene.
• Jeans from Europe: machine wash warm · non-chlorine bleach · tumble dry medium · warm iron. Machine wash at or below 40 °C (104 °F) — warm on your washer. Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed. Tumble dry, medium heat. Iron at a medium (warm) setting, about 300 °F (149 °C).

Common mistakes

• Reading the striped triangle as “no bleach”. It means only non-chlorine bleach; “do not bleach” is the solid triangle with an X. the FTC (Federal Register, 1997): “ASTM previously changed the ‘‘do not bleach’’ symbol from an empty triangle with an ‘‘X’’ through it to a shaded triangle with an ‘‘X’’ through it to prevent confusion with other systems.”
• Counting the dots on the iron like the tub’s. The iron’s dots are its heat: one is the cool setting (about 230 °F), three the hot one.
• Taking the circle in the square for the circle alone. In a square it is the dryer; alone it is dry cleaning.
• Reading bars as temperature. Bars under the tub or the square are the cycle: one for permanent press, two for delicate.

Frequently asked questions

On Needle Style

The fabrics that ask for care: satin dresses, suede skirt outfits, leather jacket outfits, velvet outfits and soft sweaters.

More free tools: Will It Shrink?, for whether a warm wash or a hot dryer will shrink each fabric and how to unshrink it, the Fabric Types Chart, for what each fabric is made of and how it wears, the closet declutter checklist, where to sell clothes and the capsule wardrobe planner.