Why clothing care labels matter

Have you ever noticed small symbols on the labels of your clothes and wondered what they mean?

These symbols provide important instructions about washing, bleaching drying, ironing and professional cleaning.  Understanding them can help you take better care of your clothes and prevent damage.

Most clothing labels use five main types of laundry symbols. Here is a simple guide to understanding them.

Washing Symbols

Washing symbols usually look like a bucket or tub filled with water. They explain how a garment should be washed. A plain bucket or tub The clothing item can be washed in a washing machine.

A number inside the bucket

This shows the maximum water temperature for washing, such as 30°C or 40°C.

A hand inside the bucket

The garment should only be washed by hand.

•A crossed out bucket

Do not wash the garment at home. It may require professional cleaning.

•Bleaching Symbols

Bleaching symbols are shown as triangles. They tell you whether bleach can be used on a particular fabric.

An empty triangle

• Any type of bleach can be used.

A crossed out triangle Do not use bleach on the garment. Always check the care label before using bleach, as the wrong product can damage fabric or change its colour.

Drying Symbols

Drying symbols usually appear inside a square. They explain the correct way to dry your clothes.

Vertical lines inside a square

Hang the garment on a washing line to dry.

•A horizontal line inside a square

•Lay the garment flat on a clean surface to dry.

•A square with a circle and one dot

Use a low heat setting when tumble drying.

•A crossed out square with a circle

Do not use a tumble dryer.

Ironing Symbols

Ironing symbols look like a small iron. The number of dots inside the symbol indicates the recommended heat level.

No dots Iron at a low temperature below 110°C.

One dot Use a low heat setting of up to 110°C.

Two dots Use a medium heat setting of up to 150°C.

Three dots: Use a high heat setting of up to 200°C.

A crossed out iron

•Do not iron the garment.

Following these instructions can help prevent burns shiny marks and damage to delicate fabrics.

 Professional Care and Dry Cleaning Symbols

Professional cleaning symbols usually appear as circles on clothing labels.

•A plain circle

The garment requires professional dry cleaning.

A crossed out circle Do not dry clean the garment.

These instructions are especially important for delicate fabrics that may be damaged by regular washing.

Why Is It Important to Understand Laundry Symbols?

Clothing care symbols may look confusing at first but they are easy to understand once you know what each one means.  Following these simple instructions can help protect fabric maintain colours and make your clothes last longer.