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Laundry and care labels symbols

42 laundry and care labels symbols, each with what it looks like and what it actually requires.

Symbol Looks like Means
Wash (plain tub) A stylised tub of water — a bucket shape with a wavy line across the top. The item can be machine washed.
Wash at 30 °C maximum A tub of water with 30 inside it. Some labels show one dot instead of the number. Machine wash at 30 °C (86 °F) or cooler.
Wash at 40 °C maximum A tub of water with 40 inside it. Two dots mean the same thing on US labels. Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler.
Wash at 50 °C maximum A tub of water with 50 inside it. Three dots on US labels. Machine wash at 50 °C (122 °F) or cooler.
Wash at 60 °C maximum A tub of water with 60 inside it. Four dots on US labels. Machine wash at 60 °C (140 °F) or cooler.
Wash at 70 °C maximum A tub of water with 70 inside it. Machine wash at 70 °C (158 °F) or cooler.
Wash at 95 °C maximum A tub of water with 95 inside it. Five dots on US labels. Machine wash at 95 °C (203 °F) or cooler — a boil wash.
Mild wash — one bar under the tub A washtub with a single horizontal bar drawn underneath it, usually with a temperature inside. Wash at the stated temperature but with reduced mechanical action — the permanent press or synthetics cycle.
Very mild wash — two bars under the tub A washtub with two horizontal bars drawn underneath it. Wash at the stated temperature on the gentlest machine cycle, with a much reduced load and spin.
Hand wash only A washtub with a hand reaching into it from above. Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing.
Do not wash A washtub with a large cross through it. Do not wash in water at all, by machine or by hand.
Do not wring A twisted length of fabric — like a wrung-out cloth — with a cross through it. Do not twist the item to squeeze water out.
Any bleach allowed An empty triangle. Any bleach may be used, including chlorine bleach.
Non-chlorine bleach only A triangle with two diagonal parallel lines inside it. Older labels write CL inside the triangle with a cross through it. Oxygen bleach only — no chlorine bleach.
Do not bleach A triangle with a cross through it, usually solid or heavily struck out. No bleach of any kind, chlorine or oxygen.
Tumble dry (circle in a square) A square with a circle drawn inside it. The item may be tumble dried.
Tumble dry low — one dot A square with a circle inside it and one dot in the centre of the circle. Tumble dry on a low-heat setting.
Tumble dry normal — two dots A square with a circle inside it and two dots in the circle. Tumble dry at normal heat.
Tumble dry high — three dots A square with a circle inside it and three dots in the circle. Tumble dry at high heat.
Tumble dry, no heat A square with a circle inside it, the circle filled in solid black. Tumble dry with the heat off — the air-fluff or air-dry setting.
Do not tumble dry A square with a circle inside it and a cross through the whole thing. Do not put this in a tumble dryer at any temperature.
Natural drying (plain square) An empty square. Dry naturally — air drying is allowed, with no further restriction.
Line dry A square with a single vertical line drawn inside it, representing a garment on a washing line. Hang the item up to dry after spinning.
Drip dry A square with three vertical lines drawn inside it. Hang up soaking wet, without spinning or wringing.
Dry flat A square with a single horizontal line drawn inside it. Lay the item flat on a horizontal surface to dry.
Dry in the shade Any of the natural-drying squares with an extra diagonal stripe across the top-left corner. Dry out of direct sunlight.
Do not dry (natural drying prohibited) An empty square with a cross through it. Do not dry the item after washing it in water — a prohibition on the whole drying step.
Iron at low temperature — one dot An outline of an iron with one dot on it. Iron with the soleplate no hotter than 110 °C (230 °F), and without steam.
Iron at medium temperature — two dots An outline of an iron with two dots on it. Iron with the soleplate no hotter than 150 °C (300 °F).
Iron at high temperature — three dots An outline of an iron with three dots on it. Iron with the soleplate no hotter than 200 °C (390 °F).
Do not iron An outline of an iron with a cross through it. Do not iron this item at any temperature.
Do not steam An outline of an iron with two or three short lines coming from its base, crossed out. The iron itself is not crossed. Dry ironing is allowed; steam is not.
Dry clean (plain circle) An empty circle, the fifth and last symbol in the row. Professionally dry clean. The letter inside, if any, tells the cleaner which solvent to use.
Dry clean with any solvent — circle A A circle with the letter A inside it. Dry clean in any solvent the trade uses.
Dry clean with perchloroethylene — circle P A circle with the letter P inside it. Dry clean in tetrachloroethene (perchloroethylene) or in any hydrocarbon solvent.
Mild dry clean with perchloroethylene — circle P with a bar A circle with the letter P inside it and a horizontal bar underneath the circle. Dry clean in perchloroethylene with a reduced process — less mechanical action, lower temperature, shorter drying.
Dry clean with hydrocarbon solvent — circle F A circle with the letter F inside it. Dry clean in hydrocarbon solvent only — not in perchloroethylene.
Mild dry clean with hydrocarbon solvent — circle F with a bar A circle with the letter F inside it and a horizontal bar underneath. Dry clean in hydrocarbon solvent with a reduced, gentler process.
Do not dry clean A circle with a cross through it. Do not dry clean — the solvent will damage the item.
Professional wet clean — circle W A circle with the letter W inside it. Professional wet cleaning — a controlled water-based process done by a cleaner, not in a domestic machine.
Mild professional wet clean — circle W with a bar A circle with the letter W inside it and one horizontal bar underneath. Two bars mean very mild. Professional wet cleaning with reduced mechanical action; two bars mean the gentlest process available.
Do not professionally wet clean A circle with the letter W inside it and a cross through the whole thing. The item must not go through a professional water-based cleaning process.