---
title: "Hand wash only — what it means"
description: "Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its meaning differs by country."
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-hand-wash/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Hand wash only

**Hand wash only: Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing.**

## What it looks like

*[Symbol drawn on the page: Hand wash only]*

A washtub with a hand reaching into it from above.

## What it means

ISO 3758 sets the maximum at 40 °C, and the practical test is water you can keep your hands in comfortably. The instruction is about mechanical action rather than heat: the garment should be moved gently through the water and squeezed, never rubbed, twisted or wrung. Many machines offer a hand-wash programme, and on a modern drum it is often gentler than a sink — but it is not what the label authorises, and with silk, cashmere and unlined tailoring the risk of getting that judgement wrong is the whole garment.

> Defined by ISO 3758. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.

## Other laundry and care labels symbols

| Symbol | Means |
| --- | --- |
| Wash (plain tub) | The item can be machine washed. |
| Wash at 30 °C maximum | Machine wash at 30 °C (86 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 40 °C maximum | Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 50 °C maximum | Machine wash at 50 °C (122 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 60 °C maximum | Machine wash at 60 °C (140 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 70 °C maximum | Machine wash at 70 °C (158 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 95 °C maximum | Machine wash at 95 °C (203 °F) or cooler — a boil wash. |
| Mild wash — one bar under the tub | Wash at the stated temperature but with reduced mechanical action — the permanent press or synthetics cycle. |
| Very mild wash — two bars under the tub | Wash at the stated temperature on the gentlest machine cycle, with a much reduced load and spin. |
| Do not wash | Do not wash in water at all, by machine or by hand. |
| Do not wring | Do not twist the item to squeeze water out. |
| Any bleach allowed | Any bleach may be used, including chlorine bleach. |
| Non-chlorine bleach only | Oxygen bleach only — no chlorine bleach. |
| Do not bleach | No bleach of any kind, chlorine or oxygen. |
| Tumble dry (circle in a square) | The item may be tumble dried. |
| Tumble dry low — one dot | Tumble dry on a low-heat setting. |
| Tumble dry normal — two dots | Tumble dry at normal heat. |
| Tumble dry high — three dots | Tumble dry at high heat. |
| Tumble dry, no heat | Tumble dry with the heat off — the air-fluff or air-dry setting. |
| Do not tumble dry | Do not put this in a tumble dryer at any temperature. |

## Common questions

### What does the hand wash only symbol mean?

Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing.

### What does it look like?

A washtub with a hand reaching into it from above.

## Related pages

- [Very mild wash — two bars under the tub](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-very-mild/)
- [Do not wash](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-do-not-wash/)
- [Do not wring](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-do-not-wring/)
- [Wash (plain tub)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-normal/)
- [Wash at 30 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-30/)
- [Wash at 40 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-40/)
- [Wash at 50 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-50/)
- [Wash at 60 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-60/)
- [Wash at 70 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-70/)
- [Wash at 95 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-95/)
- [Mild wash — one bar under the tub](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-mild/)
- [Very mild wash — two bars under the tub](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-very-mild/)
- [Do not wash](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-do-not-wash/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)