The clothing care symbols reference guide explains laundry care symbols for washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and professional cleaning. Symbols with an X through them mean "do not."
Reading Clothing Care Labels
Clothing care symbols follow the ISO 3758 standard internationally. An X or line through a symbol always means "do not do this." The number of dots in ironing and drying symbols indicates heat level — more dots means higher temperature is safe.
Most important symbols to know
The "hand wash only" symbol (hand in water) means machine washing will damage the fabric. "Dry flat" means hanging will stretch the garment — this applies to knits and sweaters. "Do not tumble dry" means air dry only. "Dry clean only" means water will damage the fabric — important for wool suits, silk, and rayon.
Temperature dots
One dot = low temperature (cool). Two dots = medium temperature (warm). Three dots = high temperature (hot). This applies to both ironing and tumble drying symbols.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the X through a symbol mean?
An X or line crossed through any clothing care symbol means 'do not.' For example, a circle with an X means do not dry clean, and a washtub with an X means do not machine wash.
What does the hand wash symbol look like?
The hand wash symbol shows a hand dipping into a tub of water. It means the garment should only be washed by hand in cool or warm water — machine washing will damage the fabric.
What does dry flat mean?
Dry flat means lay the garment horizontally on a clean towel or drying rack to dry. This prevents stretching in knits, sweaters, and heavy cotton items. Do not hang these items to dry.
How do the temperature dots work?
One dot = low temperature. Two dots = medium temperature. Three dots = high temperature. This applies to ironing and tumble dryer symbols. More dots means higher heat is safe to use.
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