---
title: "Wash at 40 °C maximum — what it means"
description: "Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its meaning differs by country."
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-40/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Wash at 40 °C maximum

**Wash at 40 °C maximum: Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler.**

40

## What it looks like

*[Symbol drawn on the page: Wash at 40 °C maximum]*

A tub of water with 40 inside it. Two dots mean the same thing on US labels.

## What it means

The default for everyday coloured cottons and synthetics, and the warmest most modern clothing is rated for. Above this, elastane loses its stretch, printed transfers lift at the edges and dyes migrate between garments in the same load. If a label says 40 and the item still shrank, the cause is usually the tumble dryer rather than the wash.

> 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 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. |
| Hand wash only | Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing. |
| 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 wash at 40 °c maximum symbol mean?

Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler.

### What does it look like?

A tub of water with 40 inside it. Two dots mean the same thing on US labels.

## Related pages

- [Wash at 30 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-30/)
- [Wash at 60 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-60/)
- [Mild wash — one bar under the tub](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-mild/)
- [Wash (plain tub)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-normal/)
- [Wash at 30 °C maximum](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-wash-30/)
- [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/)
- [Hand wash only](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-hand-wash/)
- [Do not wash](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-do-not-wash/)

## Sources

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