Laundry symbols teach us how to care for our clothes. These symbols on clothes care labels can be puzzling at first. With a little education, you can decipher these symbols and properly wash, dry, and iron your garments.
Laundry symbols—what are they?
Laundry symbols provide textile care instructions in a common way. These symbols are typically featured on textile care labels to help buyers understand correct care.
Washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning symbols are used in laundry. Each category has a symbol and guidelines to help you care for your clothes without destroying them.
Symbols for Washing
The washing symbols are represented by a wash tub and give directions on how to wash clothes. These symbols can range from simple directions like “machine washable” to more complicated ones like “hand wash only” or “dry clean only.”
The most prevalent symbols for washing are:
- Machine washable: This sign looks like a wash tub full of water and indicates that the clothing may be safely washed in a washing machine.
- Hand wash only: This symbol looks like a wash tub with a hand in it and denotes that the clothing should be cleaned by hand in cool water.
- Do not wash: This symbol looks like a wash tub with an X through it and indicates that the item should never be cleaned.
Whitening Symbols
Bleaching symbols are triangles that tell you whether to bleach your clothes. “Do not bleach” to “bleach as needed” are examples of these symbols.
The most popular bleaching symbols are:
- Do not bleach: This symbol looks like a triangle with an X through it and advises that bleach should not be used on the clothing.
- Bleach when needed: This triangle indicates that bleach can be used on the item.
Signs of Drying
How to dry your clothes is shown by a square drying sign. “Tumble dry low” to “hang dry only” are possible symbols.
Some of the most common drying symbols are:
- Tumble dry low: This sign looks like a square with a circle inside it and indicates that the garment can be securely dried in a dryer on low heat.
- Hang dry only: A square with a curving line indicates that the clothing should be hung to dry rather than dried in a dryer.
Signs for Ironing
How to iron your clothes is shown by an iron symbol. “Do not iron” to “iron on high” are examples of these symbols.
The most popular ironing symbols are:
- Do not iron: An iron with an X signifies that the garment should not be ironed.
- Iron on low: This symbol looks like an iron with one dot inside it and indicates that the garment can be safely ironed on low heat.
Dry cleaning symbols
How to dry clean your clothes is shown by a circle. “Dry clean only” to “do not dry clean” are possible symbols.
Symbols for dry cleaning include:
- Dry clean only: This symbol looks like a circle and indicates that the garment should only be dry cleaned.
- Do not dry clean: A circle with an X indicates this.
Bleaching symbol in laundry
- A triangle with lines shows if the item can be bleached. Bleach is safe with a plain triangle. Bleaching the garment is limited if there are lines inside the triangle. One line indicates that only non-chlorine bleach should be used, while two lines indicate that the garment should not be bleached.
Laundry Symbol for Drying
- A square symbol shows how to dry the item. A square with a circle in the middle should be dried on low heat, while an empty square can be tumble dried. The garment should not be tumble dried if there is a line through the square.
Ironing Sign
- If the garment can be ironed, it has an iron symbol. If the symbol has a dot in the centre, it can be ironed at a low temperature. If the centre has two dots, it can be ironed at a higher temperature. However, a cross over the iron symbol indicates that the garment should not be ironed.
Dry Cleaning Laundry Symbol
- A circle symbol indicates whether the garment can be dry cleaned. The garment can be dry cleaned with any solvent if the circle contains a “A.” Only perchloroethylene solvents can be used for dry cleaning if there is a “P” inside. If the letter “F” is inside, only hydrocarbon solvents can be used.
Symbol for Washing
- A washtub with water indicates how to wash the garment. The garment’s maximum wash temperature is shown by the number of dots in the washtub. One dot means it should be washed at a maximum temperature of 30°C, while two dots mean it can be washed at 40°C. It can be washed at 50°C or 60°C with three or four dots.
Wringing and Twisting Symbol for Laundry
- A washtub with a hand shows if the garment can be wrung or twisted. The garment can be wrung if the hand is inside the washtub. However, a cross over the hand means the garment should not be wrung or twisted.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding laundry symbols is crucial in taking care of your clothes and ensuring their longevity. While it may seem overwhelming at first, familiarizing yourself with the basic laundry symbols and their meanings can go a long way in making the laundry process easier and more efficient. Always read the care label on your clothing before washing, drying, or ironing them and follow the instructions carefully to avoid damaging your garments. Remember, taking care of your clothes properly not only saves you money in the long run, but it also helps reduce waste and is better for the environment. So, next time you do your laundry, take a moment to decode those laundry symbols and keep your clothes looking great!
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