Why Garment Care Label Symbols Matter
Every garment comes with a small tag covered in cryptic symbols. These garment care instructions are the difference between a favorite shirt lasting years or shrinking after one wash. For brands, accurate wash care labels reduce returns and build customer trust. For consumers, understanding textile care symbols saves money and wardrobe heartbreak.
In this guide, we'll break down the five basic care symbols, explain common variations, and share practical tips for washing, drying, and ironing. Whether you're a manufacturer sourcing labels or a shopper decoding a tag, this is your plain-English reference.
The Five Basic Care Symbols
International care labeling systems (ISO 3758) use five core symbols. Once you know these, you can read almost any tag.
1. Washtub (Washing)
A washtub icon indicates how to wash the item. The number inside or below the tub is the maximum temperature in Celsius.
- Washtub with a number (e.g., 30, 40, 60): Machine wash at that temperature or lower.
- Washtub with a hand: Hand wash only, max 40°C (104°F).
- Washtub with a cross: Do not wash. Dry clean only.
- Washtub with a single line underneath: Permanent press / gentle cycle.
- Washtub with two lines underneath: Delicate cycle.
2. Triangle (Bleaching)
A triangle tells you if bleach is safe.
- Empty triangle: Any bleach allowed.
- Triangle with two diagonal lines: Only non-chlorine (color-safe) bleach.
- Triangle with a cross: Do not bleach.
3. Square with Circle (Drying)
This symbol covers tumble drying. The number of dots inside the circle indicates heat level.
- One dot: Low heat.
- Two dots: Medium heat.
- Three dots: High heat.
- Circle with a cross: Do not tumble dry.
- Square with a curved line: Line dry.
- Square with a horizontal line: Dry flat.
4. Iron (Ironing)
An iron symbol shows safe ironing temperature, indicated by dots.
- One dot: Low heat (max 110°C / 230°F) – for silk, wool, synthetics.
- Medium heat (max 150°C / 300°F) – for polyester blends.
