Care Labels on Clothes: How to Read Them and Wash Right

You see care labels on your clothes with symbols you don’t understand. There’s a tub, a triangle, a square, an iron, and a circle. These symbols tell you how to wash, dry, bleach, and iron each garment. Ignoring them can ruin your clothes: shrinking wool, melting synthetics, or fading colors. But once you know what the symbols mean, you can wash every garment the right way. Here’s how to read care labels on clothes.

Care labels on clothes are tags with symbols and text that tell you how to wash, dry, bleach, and iron a garment. The symbols are standardized internationally and use shapes to represent different care operations: a tub for washing, a triangle for bleaching, a square for drying, an iron for ironing, and a circle for dry cleaning.

To read care labels on clothes, learn the 5 basic shapes (tub, triangle, square, iron, circle) and their variations. The tub tells you water temperature and cycle, the triangle tells you bleach type, the square tells you drying method, the iron tells you heat setting, and the circle tells you dry cleaning. Always follow the label to avoid damage.

The 5 Basic Symbols

Shape	Meaning	What It Tells You
Tub	Washing	Water temperature, cycle type
Triangle	Bleaching	What bleach is safe
Square	Drying	Drying method and heat
Iron	Ironing	Heat setting
Circle	Dry cleaning	What solvents are safe

Washing Symbols (Tub)

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Tub with one dot or 30	Cold (60 to 85F)	Wash in cold water
Tub with two dots or 40	Warm (85 to 105F)	Wash in warm water
Tub with three dots or 60	Hot (105 to 120F)	Wash in hot water
Tub with hand	Hand wash only	Hand wash in cold water
Tub with X	Do not wash	Dry clean only
Tub with one line	Permanent press	Use perm press cycle
Tub with two lines	Gentle cycle	Use gentle cycle

Bleaching Symbols (Triangle)

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Empty triangle	Any bleach OK	Use oxygen or chlorine bleach
Triangle with two lines	Oxygen bleach only	Use oxygen bleach, not chlorine
Triangle with X	Do not bleach	Don’t use any bleach

Drying Symbols (Square)

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Square with circle	Tumble dry	Tumble dry
Square with circle, one dot	Low heat	Tumble dry low
Square with circle, two dots	Medium heat	Tumble dry medium
Square with circle, three dots	High heat	Tumble dry high
Square with circle, X	Do not tumble dry	Line dry or dry flat
Square with curved line	Line dry	Hang to dry
Square with horizontal line	Dry flat	Dry flat on a towel

Ironing Symbols (Iron)

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Iron with one dot	Low (synthetics)	Iron on low heat
Iron with two dots	Medium (silk, wool)	Iron on medium heat
Iron with three dots	High (cotton, linen)	Iron on high heat
Iron with X	Do not iron	Don’t iron

Dry Cleaning Symbols (Circle)

Symbol	Meaning	What to Do
Circle	Dry clean	Take to dry cleaner
Circle with F	Dry clean with petroleum solvent	Take to dry cleaner
Circle with P	Dry clean with any solvent	Take to dry cleaner
Circle with X	Do not dry clean	Can be washed at home

How to Use Care Labels

Step 1: Check the Label Before Washing

Always check the care label before washing a new garment.

Step 2: Sort by Care Requirements

Sort clothes by their care requirements. Don’t wash a hand-wash-only silk blouse with a hot-water cotton towel.

Step 3: Follow the Most Restrictive Symbol

If a garment has multiple care requirements, follow the most restrictive one.

Step 4: Use the Right Products

Use products that match the care symbols:

• Cold water: Tide Free and Gentle
• Oxygen bleach: For triangle with two lines
• Gentle cycle: For tub with two lines
• No fabric softener: For most garments

Step 5: Pre-Treat Stains

Check for stains and treat with the right product:

• Oil: Dawn Ultra Dish Soap
• Food: OxiClean Max Force Spray
• Grease: Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam

Step 6: Wash According to Label

Set the water temperature and cycle according to the washing symbol.

Step 7: Dry According to Label

Set the drying method according to the drying symbol.

Step 8: Iron According to Label

Set the iron heat according to the ironing symbol.

Monthly: Clean the Machine

Use affresh Washing Machine Cleaner monthly.

Common Mistakes

Washing dry-clean-only clothes. If the label has a circle with no X, take it to a dry cleaner.

Using hot water on cold-water clothes. Hot water shrinks wool and damages silk.

Tumble drying do-not-tumble clothes. If the label has a square with circle and X, line dry or dry flat.

Using chlorine bleach on oxygen-bleach-only clothes. If the triangle has two lines, use oxygen bleach only.

Ironing on high heat. If the iron symbol has one dot, use low heat.

FAQ

What do care labels on clothes mean? Care labels on clothes are tags with symbols that tell you how to wash, dry, bleach, and iron a garment. The tub means washing, the triangle means bleaching, the square means drying, the iron means ironing, and the circle means dry cleaning.

What does a tub with two lines under it mean? A tub with two lines under it means gentle cycle. Use cold water and a gentle detergent like Tide Free and Gentle.

What does a triangle with an X mean? A triangle with an X means do not bleach. Don’t use any bleach on this garment.

What does a square with a circle and an X mean? A square with a circle and an X means do not tumble dry. Line dry or dry flat instead.

What does a circle with an X mean? A circle with an X means do not dry clean. This garment can be washed at home.

References

1. Federal Trade Commission. “Care Labeling Rule.” ftc.gov.
2. American Cleaning Institute. “Laundry Symbol Guide.” cleaninginstitute.org.
3. The Spruce. “Care Label Guide.” thespruce.com.
4. Tide. “Washing Machine Cycles Guide.” tide.com.