Garment Care Symbols: What They Mean and How to Read Them

You bought a new shirt and flipped to the care label. Instead of instructions in words, you see a row of tiny symbols: a bucket with a number, a square with a circle, a triangle, and an iron with dots. You have no idea what most of them mean. You could guess, but guessing wrong can ruin the garment. Garment care symbols are a standardized system that tells you exactly how to wash, dry, iron, and bleach each item. Once you know the basics, you can read any care label in seconds.

Garment care symbols are standardized icons printed on clothing labels that indicate how to wash, dry, iron, and bleach a garment without damaging it. The symbols are part of the international ISO 3758 standard and are used by clothing manufacturers worldwide.

To read garment care symbols, identify the five categories: washing (bucket), bleaching (triangle), drying (square), ironing (iron), and professional care (circle with a P or F). Each symbol may have additional marks (dots, lines, crosses) that indicate temperature, cycle, or restrictions.

Washing Symbols (The Bucket)

The washing symbol is a bucket of water. Additional marks indicate temperature and cycle.

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Bucket with number 30	Wash cold (30C/86F)	Use cold water setting
Bucket with number 40	Wash warm (40C/104F)	Use warm water setting
Bucket with number 60	Wash hot (60C/140F)	Use hot water setting
Bucket with one line under	Permanent press cycle	Use Perm Press setting
Bucket with two lines under	Gentle or delicate cycle	Use Delicates setting
Bucket with a hand	Hand wash only	Wash by hand in cold water
Crossed-out bucket	Do not wash	Dry clean only

Bleaching Symbols (The Triangle)

The bleaching symbol is a triangle. Additional marks indicate what type of bleach is allowed.

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Empty triangle	Any bleach allowed	Chlorine or oxygen bleach OK
Triangle with two lines	Oxygen bleach only	Use color-safe bleach, not chlorine
Crossed-out triangle	Do not bleach	No bleach of any kind

Drying Symbols (The Square)

The drying symbol is a square. A circle inside the square means tumble dry. Additional marks indicate heat and cycle.

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Square with circle, no dots	Tumble dry, normal heat	Use normal dryer setting
Square with circle, one dot	Tumble dry, low heat	Use low heat setting
Square with circle, two dots	Tumble dry, medium heat	Use medium heat setting
Square with circle, three dots	Tumble dry, high heat	Use high heat setting
Square with circle, one line under	Tumble dry, permanent press	Use Perm Press setting
Square with circle, two lines under	Tumble dry, gentle	Use Delicates setting
Crossed-out square with circle	Do not tumble dry	Air dry or line dry
Square with one curved line	Line dry	Hang on a line
Square with three vertical lines	Drip dry	Hang dripping wet
Square with one horizontal line	Flat dry	Lay flat to dry
Square with two diagonal lines	Dry in shade	Keep out of direct sun

Ironing Symbols (The Iron)

The ironing symbol is an iron shape. Dots indicate temperature.

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Iron with one dot	Low heat (110C/230F)	Iron synthetics, silk
Iron with two dots	Medium heat (150C/300F)	Iron wool, polyester
Iron with three dots	High heat (200C/390F)	Iron cotton, linen
Crossed-out iron	Do not iron	Don’t iron the garment
Iron with crossed lines	Steam not recommended	Iron without steam

Professional Care Symbols (The Circle)

The professional care symbol is a circle with a letter inside.

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Circle with P	Dry clean (any solvent)	Take to a dry cleaner
Circle with F	Dry clean (petroleum solvent only)	Take to a dry cleaner, specify
Circle with W	Wet clean	Professional wet cleaning
Crossed-out circle	Do not dry clean	Wash at home or wet clean

Common Care Label Combinations

Most care labels show a sequence of symbols. Here’s how to read a typical label:

Example 1: Cotton t-shirt

• Wash at 40C (warm) | Any bleach | Tumble dry medium | Iron high heat
• Meaning: Machine wash warm, bleach if needed, tumble dry on medium, iron on high.

Example 2: Wool sweater

• Wash at 30C gentle | Do not bleach | Flat dry | Iron low heat
• Meaning: Hand or machine wash cold on gentle, no bleach, dry flat, iron on low if needed.

Example 3: Silk blouse

• Hand wash 30C | Do not bleach | Do not tumble dry | Iron low heat
• Meaning: Hand wash cold, no bleach, air dry, iron on low.

Example 4: Dry clean only suit

• Do not wash | Do not bleach | Do not tumble dry | Do not iron | Dry clean (P)
• Meaning: Take to a professional dry cleaner only.

Tips for Following Care Symbols

When in doubt, use the gentlest setting. If you’re not sure what a symbol means, use cold water, gentle cycle, and air dry. This won’t damage any fabric.

Check the label before buying. If a garment says dry clean only and you don’t want to pay for dry cleaning, don’t buy it.

Sort laundry by care label. Don’t wash items that need gentle cycle with items that need hot water. Sort by care requirements, not just color.

Use the right detergent for the fabric. Use Tide Free and Gentle for sensitive skin and delicate fabrics. Add Arm and Hammer Baking Soda as a booster for odors.

Keep a cheat sheet. Print or save a care symbol guide and keep it in your laundry room for quick reference.

FAQ

What do garment care symbols mean? Garment care symbols are standardized icons on clothing labels that tell you how to wash, dry, iron, and bleach a garment. There are five categories: washing (bucket), bleaching (triangle), drying (square), ironing (iron), and professional care (circle with a letter).

How do you read laundry symbols? Identify the basic shape first (bucket for washing, square for drying, triangle for bleaching, iron for ironing, circle for professional care). Then look for additional marks: dots indicate temperature, lines under the symbol indicate cycle type, and a cross means don’t do it.

What does the triangle symbol mean on clothes? The triangle is the bleaching symbol. An empty triangle means any bleach is allowed. A triangle with two lines means oxygen bleach only (no chlorine). A crossed-out triangle means do not bleach.

What does the square with a circle mean on clothes? The square with a circle inside is the tumble dry symbol. Dots inside the circle indicate heat level: one dot is low, two is medium, three is high. Lines under the square indicate cycle type: one line is permanent press, two lines is gentle.

What does a crossed-out symbol mean on clothes? A crossed-out symbol means don’t do that action. A crossed-out bucket means don’t wash, a crossed-out triangle means don’t bleach, a crossed-out square with circle means don’t tumble dry, and a crossed-out iron means don’t iron.

What does P mean on a care label? P inside a circle means dry clean using any solvent. F inside a circle means dry clean using petroleum solvent only. W inside a circle means professional wet cleaning. A crossed-out circle means do not dry clean.

Do I have to follow care symbols exactly? You should follow them closely to avoid damaging the garment. When in doubt, use the gentlest setting (cold water, gentle cycle, air dry). This won’t damage any fabric. Ignoring care symbols can cause shrinking, color loss, and fabric damage.

References

1. American Cleaning Institute. “Laundry Care Symbols.” cleaninginstitute.org.
2. The Spruce. “Laundry Symbols Explained.” thespruce.com.
3. Tide. “How to Read Care Labels.” tide.com.
4. ISO 3758. “Textiles: Care Labelling Code.” iso.org.