Washer Dryer Icon: Settings, Products, and Timing

You want to understand washer dryer icons on care labels. Maybe you’re looking at the symbols on your clothes and don’t know what they mean, or you want to follow the care instructions correctly. Washer dryer icons are standardized symbols that tell you how to wash, dry, iron, and bleach clothes. Here’s a guide to washer dryer icons, including settings, products, and timing.

Washer dryer icons are standardized symbols printed on care labels that indicate how to wash, dry, iron, and bleach clothes without damaging them. The symbols are part of the international care labeling system (GINETEX) used worldwide. The key is understanding what each symbol means and following the instructions to keep clothes looking new.

To read washer dryer icons, look for the wash tub (washing), square (drying), triangle (bleaching), iron (ironing), and circle (dry cleaning) symbols. Use the right products (Tide Free and Gentle, OxiClean, Dawn, Shout, Amodex, Lysol, affresh, baking soda) and follow the temperature and setting instructions. Don’t ignore the icons, don’t use settings that contradict the icons, and don’t use products that the icons warn against.

Washing Icons

Wash Tub with Hand

Meaning: Hand wash only

Settings: Hand wash in cold water with gentle detergent. Don’t wring or twist.

Products: Tide Free and Gentle

Wash Tub with Number

Meaning: Maximum water temperature

Settings:

• 30 (one dot): Cold water (85F)
• 40 (two dots): Warm water (105F)
• 60 (three dots): Hot water (140F)
• 95 (four dots): Very hot water (200F)

Wash Tub with Line Underneath

Meaning: Permanent press or reduced agitation

Settings: Use the permanent press cycle with reduced agitation.

Wash Tub with Two Lines Underneath

Meaning: Gentle or delicate cycle

Settings: Use the gentle or delicate cycle with minimal agitation.

Wash Tub with X

Meaning: Do not wash

Settings: Don’t wash. Dry clean only.

Drying Icons

Square with Circle (Tumble Dry)

Meaning: Tumble dry allowed

Settings: Use the dryer on the appropriate heat setting.

Square with Circle and One Dot

Meaning: Tumble dry on low heat

Settings: Use the dryer on low heat (delicate setting).

Square with Circle and Two Dots

Meaning: Tumble dry on medium heat

Settings: Use the dryer on medium heat (permanent press setting).

Square with Circle and Three Dots

Meaning: Tumble dry on high heat

Settings: Use the dryer on high heat (cotton setting).

Square with Circle and X

Meaning: Do not tumble dry

Settings: Don’t use the dryer. Air dry only.

Square with Horizontal Line

Meaning: Dry flat

Settings: Dry the garment flat on a clean surface. Don’t hang, which can stretch the fabric.

Square with Vertical Line

Meaning: Dry on a clothesline

Settings: Hang the garment on a clothesline to dry.

Square with Diagonal Lines (Top Corner)

Meaning: Dry in the shade

Settings: Dry away from direct sunlight, which can fade colors.

Bleaching Icons

Triangle (Any Bleach)

Meaning: Any bleach allowed

Settings: Chlorine or oxygen bleach can be used.

Products: OxiClean (oxygen bleach) is recommended for colored clothes.

Triangle with Two Lines (Oxygen Bleach Only)

Meaning: Oxygen bleach only

Settings: Use oxygen bleach only. Don’t use chlorine bleach.

Products: OxiClean Max Force Spray

Triangle with X (Do Not Bleach)

Meaning: Do not bleach

Settings: Don’t use any bleach. Use stain removers instead.

Products: Dawn Ultra Dish Soap, Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam

Ironing Icons

Iron with One Dot

Meaning: Iron on low heat (110C)

Settings: Use low heat for delicate fabrics like silk and synthetics.

Iron with Two Dots

Meaning: Iron on medium heat (150C)

Settings: Use medium heat for wool and polyester.

Iron with Three Dots

Meaning: Iron on high heat (200C)

Settings: Use high heat for cotton and linen.

Iron with X

Meaning: Do not iron

Settings: Don’t iron. The fabric may melt or be damaged.

Dry Cleaning Icons

Circle (Dry Clean)

Meaning: Dry clean only

Settings: Take to a professional dry cleaner.

Circle with Letter (Dry Clean, Specific Solvent)

Meaning: Dry clean with specific solvent

Settings: The letter indicates the solvent type. Take to a professional dry cleaner.

Circle with X (Do Not Dry Clean)

Meaning: Do not dry clean

Settings: Don’t dry clean. Wash at home.

Products Guide by Icon

For Washable Clothes

Use Tide Free and Gentle for washing.

For Stains

Use OxiClean Max Force Spray for most stains.

Use Dawn Ultra Dish Soap for grease.

Use Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam for food stains.

Use Amodex Ink and Stain Remover for ink.

For Boosting

Use Arm and Hammer Baking Soda for deodorizing.

For Disinfecting

Use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer for disinfecting.

For Machine Care

Use affresh Washing Machine Cleaner for monthly cleaning.

Timing Guide

Icon Type	What It Tells You	When to Check
Wash tub	Water temp and cycle	Before washing
Drying square	Dryer setting or air dry	Before drying
Triangle	Bleach type allowed	Before bleaching
Iron	Iron heat setting	Before ironing
Circle	Dry clean or not	Before cleaning

What Not to Do

Don’t ignore the icons. The icons tell you how to care for your clothes. Ignoring them can cause fading, shrinking, and damage.

Don’t use settings that contradict the icons. If the icon says cold water, don’t use hot water. If the icon says do not tumble dry, don’t use the dryer.

Don’t use products that the icons warn against. If the icon says do not bleach, don’t use any bleach. If the icon says oxygen bleach only, don’t use chlorine bleach.

Don’t dry clean clothes that say do not dry clean. If the icon says do not dry clean, wash at home according to the wash instructions.

Don’t iron clothes that say do not iron. If the icon says do not iron, the fabric may melt or be damaged by heat.

FAQ

What do washer dryer icons mean? Washer dryer icons are standardized symbols on care labels that indicate how to wash, dry, iron, and bleach clothes. The wash tub shows washing instructions, the square shows drying instructions, the triangle shows bleaching instructions, the iron shows ironing instructions, and the circle shows dry cleaning instructions.

What does the square with a circle mean on a care label? The square with a circle means tumble dry is allowed. Dots inside indicate heat level: one dot is low, two dots is medium, three dots is high. An X over the symbol means do not tumble dry.

What does the triangle mean on a care label? The triangle means bleaching is allowed. A triangle with two lines means oxygen bleach only. A triangle with an X means do not bleach.

What does the wash tub with a number mean? The number in the wash tub indicates the maximum water temperature in degrees Celsius. 30 is cold (85F), 40 is warm (105F), 60 is hot (140F), and 95 is very hot (200F).

What does the square with a horizontal line mean? The square with a horizontal line means dry flat. Dry the garment flat on a clean surface. Don’t hang, which can stretch the fabric.

References

1. GINETEX. “Care Labeling Guide.” ginetex.net.
2. The Spruce. “Laundry Symbols Guide.” thespruce.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “Care Label Guide.” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. Tide. “Laundry Symbol Guide.” tide.com.